Today Minister of Defence and Army General Sergei Shoigu, at an urgent teleconference in the Defence Ministry Situation Centre, issued an order to reinforce Defence Ministry groups in flood-hit areas, as requested by Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin.
In his opening remarks, Mr Shoigu said that flood conditions in the Far Eastern Federal District, especially around Blagoveshchensk in the Amur Region, remain difficult: transportation lines have been disrupted preventing local residents and regional administrations from preparing for the winter season. It has been difficult to provide medical services in the regions. Many villages have been flooded.
“In this regard I will issue a number of orders to the Ministry’s personnel. First, we will send a task force headed by Arkady Bakhin, First Deputy Minister of Defence and Army General, to help you and the Emergencies Ministry first and foremost,” the Defence Minister told heads of the Russian regions and representatives of the Russian Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief.
He also issued an order to mobilise two brigades of railway troops and to provide them with the proper equipment, including earthmovers, excavators and dump trucks. “All this must be delivered to heads of the Russian regions, in this case to Blagoveshchensk. This must be done within 24 hours,” Mr Shoigu said.
Another order doubled the number of machine equipment, tripled the number of dump trucks and other vehicles, and increased the number of Russian Armed Forces personnel available for cleanup and assisting locals to 3,000 servicemen.
Following the Minister’s order, 20 Mil Mi-8 helicopters of the Air Force will take flood victims to medical institutions. Two Mil Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters have been provided to transport equipment and other cargo. In addition, 30 heavy motor boats will be transported by military aircraft to build movable pontoon bridges.
Mr Shoigu ordered the formation of shelters for local residents. “In the next 24 hours deliver everything needed to deploy shelters for at least 4,000 people with bedding and enough food for 10 days,” he ordered.
Regarding the provision of medical care for flood victims, the Defence Minister ordered two mobile medical units and their personnel to be transported by military aircraft to Blagoveshchensk in the next 24 hours. Ruslan Tsalikov, Deputy Defence Minister, proposed flying in two special medical detachments of the Defence Ministry from Podolsk and Khabarovsk.
Gennady Onishchenks, Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, expressed concerns about the epidemiological situation in the flooded area. Mr Shoigu promised that the Defence Ministry will do everything to support public health services. “The Defence Ministry is ready to support labs and specialists, we have everything we need. Just tell us where and when you want our staff to go and how many of them you need,” he said.
The Defence Minister also said that considerable efforts will be required down the line to supply people with drinking water. “Of course a big effort will have to be made later to wash out all wells to improve water-intake,” he said.
He agreed with Mr Onishchenko that supervision of anthrax disposal sites must be increased, noting that the Defence Ministry is taking all the necessary steps.
“I think that this work has been organised well. But I want to remind you once again that the Ministry of Defence will use all its forces in the region to support governors and executive authorities at the President’s request,” Mr Shoigu stressed.
