Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has discussed the situations related with Russian wildfires with the governors of the worst fire-damaged regions in phone conversations and charged them pay compensations to people affected by the fires as soon as possible, the Kremlin said on Sunday.
Heads of Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir and Ryazan regions reported on the current situation and the measures taken to smother wildfires. They also discussed possible coordination of actions of the Emergencies Ministry, local authorities and the Defense Ministry aimed at smothering wildfires, the president's press service said.
The wildfires have affected 14 Russian regions, destroyed a total of 1,875 homes, with the largest destructions observed in the Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh and Ryazan regions, the ministry said, citing data as of late July 31.
As many as 771 wildfires were registered in the European part of Russia as of early Sunday, including peat bog fires, the ministry said.
More than 4,000 servicemen and 200 units of equipment are engaged in putting out the wildfires in Russia, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Minister said.
SOCHI, August 1 (RIA Novosti)
