President Dmitry Medvedev instructed Russia's emergencies minister on Monday to send humanitarian aid to help Poland deal with heavy flooding, the Kremlin press service said on Monday.
Sergei Shoigu told the president that planes carrying humanitarian aid, pumps and diesel generators would take off for Poland shortly.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said it was the first time Poland had asked for help since a bilateral aid agreement was signed in 1993. A spokesman said later that a ministry Il-76 would depart on Tuesday with more than 14 tons of aid, including 18 pumps, 34 boats and five diesel generators.
Heavy rains hit Poland late last week, with the country's southern regions the worst affected by the natural disaster. Local rescue teams are evacuating people from flooded areas.
According to police reports, at least 14 people were killed in the floods across the country.
Schools and kindergartens were closed in Warsaw on Monday for fear of flooding, where the "big water" has been running for three days.
The water level in the Vistula River in the Polish capital has exceeded danger levels by more than 1 meter but as yet no one has been evacuated.
MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti)
