Russian soldiers stationed near Moscow rushed to bring rockets and artillery to safety from approaching flames on Thursday, the Interfax news agency reported, as woodland and peat bog wildfires continued to spread. One blaze had approached dangerously close to the garrison in Naro- Fominsk, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
Eyewitnesses have reported fires spreading rapidly throughout the country due to strong winds. Civil defence officials are also concerned that the blazes could increase radioactive radiation. Sergey Shoygu, the minister of emergency situations, said there is the danger that soil contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident in neighbouring Ukraine could be swirled into the air along with ash. Everything possible is being done to prevent such a scenario, Shoygu said.
Air pollutants were being monitored especially closely in the province of Bryansk, near Ukraine and Belarus. So far, fire-fighters in that area have managed to quickly extinguish any flames.
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