The Orenburg Oblast in southeastern Russia, near the Kazakhstan border, is grappling with severe flooding from rising water levels in the Ural River which has affected over 27 cities.
By Tuesday, floodwaters have inundated 27 cities and 73 settlements in the oblast, engulfing over 10,000 residential buildings and 12,000 household plots. The crisis prompted the evacuation of over 6,000 residents.
Orsk, the most severely affected city, is experiencing widespread disruptions including power outages and interrupted communication. Public transport has been suspended, with around 7,000 residential buildings being flooded and 2,500 people evacuated for safety.
On Friday night, swiftly rising water levels in the Ural River resulted in a dam burst, leading to floods that submerged streets and communities.
Russia's Emergency Ministry deployed rescue forces to assist in evacuating people stranded in floodwaters. Rescuers in boats navigated across flooded streets to locate those marooned, while a specialized off-road vehicle transported people away from the affected area.
The governor's office noted that the water level of the Ural River at Orsk dropped by 35 centimeters to 928 centimeters. However, concerns over potential increases in water levels remain, with flood conditions anticipated to reach their highest point on Wednesday.
"Everyone has gone, only three or four of us are left guarding here. Even though we have no access to water, electricity, or gas, we are still holding on. I feel sorry for the people affected. But what can we do?" said Olga Kuzenko, a resident in Orsk.
"There's no water. We can't find drinking water. The bottled water is running out as well," said Daria Sinitsyna, another Orsk resident.
Record flooding hits Russia’s Orenburg Oblast
Peace talks on the settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict require equality, autonomous negotiators and trust, said Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin on Friday, on the sidelines of the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which was held from Thursday to Saturday.
Khrenin talked about the military relations between Belarus and China, and the Ukraine issue.
Before attending the second plenary session of the forum, Khrenin said he hoped to expound Belarus' views and positions on the international situation in an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV).
"I hope to expound our views and position on the increasingly complex situation, globally on the whole or just about Belarus. I want to expound our views on how the international community develops and how all parties seek common ground," he said.
Noting that China and Belarus have strengthened military cooperation since they established diplomatic ties 32 years ago, Khrenin said he was deeply impressed with the "Eagle Assault 2024" joint exercise between the two countries in July this year.
"I noticed some details in the exercise, and what's the most important is that the Chinese and Belarusian servicemen in one group and one operation didn't need any translator but could understand each other. It shows that our armies share tacit understanding, which is very important," he said.
Khrenin also recalled the moment that the guard of honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army participated in the parade marking the 80th anniversary of Belarus' liberation from Nazi invaders.
"I thank Chinese leaders for dispatching troops to Belarus on the occasion of such an important festival. The Belarusian people warmly welcomed them just like greeting their family members," he said.
Khrenin also explained why Belarus has decided to establish a system against unmanned aerial vehicles.
"The Ukraine crisis has shown how modes of operation and forms of war are changing, so we are in full swing to work in this direction because we know such weapons may target us too," he said.
With the Ukraine crisis entering its third year, Khrenin put forward three conditions for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through peace talks.
"It is a pity that we haven't seen any sign of the easing of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but we can see that it is not Ukraine's independent decision. Of course, the main beneficiary in the conflict is the West, especially the United States who does not want to lose its hegemony. However, they don't understand that the current world has become multipolar, so it is always possible to resolve conflict through peace talks. Meanwhile, rigid conditions are needed to conduct such negotiations today. One of the important conditions is equality, the second is the autonomy of negotiators, which Ukraine doesn't have yet, and the third is trust," he said.
Initiated in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is a high-level security and defense forum in the Asia-Pacific region with significant international influence.
Peace talks on Russia-Ukraine conflict need equality, autonomous negotiators, trust: Belarusian defense minister
