Russia

Putin Orders Military to Join Flood Relief Efforts in Russia's Irkutsk Region If Needed - Kremlin

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that the military should join flood relief efforts in Irkutsk region if deemed necessary, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.
Sputnik

"In continuation of a night meeting in Bratsk on flood relief efforts Vladimir Putin ordered Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that the army should join the Emergencies Ministry if needed", Peskov said.

Putin said he would hold another meeting on the situation in the region in Moscow on 3 July.

​On Saturday, Putin arrived in the region's city of Bratsk, where a state of emergency has been declared in connection with heavy flooding, to meet with local authorities and heads of federal agencies to discuss the situation.

​According to the regional government, 1,700 residential buildings remain affected by the flooding. At the same time, the Russian Emergencies Ministry's general office in Irkutsk region said on Saturday that 3,700 houses had been affected.

The ministry said 42 temporary accommodation facilities had been set up, 15 of them are sheltering more than 1,300 people.

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