Record flooding in Russia and Kazakhstan leads to over 13,000 flooded residential buildings and 100,000 evacuations

Published: 10 April 2024 at 07:16

Science

More than 13,000 residential buildings have been flooded in parts of Russia, with over 7,700 people evacuated in the Orenburg region alone. The floods have affected areas in western Siberia, the Volga region, and the Central Federal District. In Kazakhstan, 96,000 people were evacuated. The flooding was triggered by a combination of factors including snowmelt, rising temperatures, and heavy rains. Pope Francis expressed sympathy for the victims, and President Putin spoke with the President of Kazakhstan about the situation.

DEEP DIVE

Russians in Orsk Seek Help After Severe Flooding

Over 100 Russians in the city of Orsk, near the Ural River, sought assistance from President Vladimir Putin after the region experienced the worst flooding on record. The flooding led to widespread destruction and property damage, with residents expressing frustration over the inadequate help provided by local officials and the insufficient compensation offered. Despite some decrease in water levels, the situation remains challenging. Authorities declared an emergency in the Orenburg region and cautioned against uncoordinated mass meetings in response to the disaster.

Record Flooding in Russia's Ural Mountains Forces Thousands to Flee

Melting snow in Russia's Ural Mountains caused severe flooding, with over 10,400 homes flooded in 39 regions. The Ural River swelled, leading to a state of emergency in the Orenburg region. President Putin formed a special commission to address the floods in Orenburg, Kurgan, and Tyumen regions. Thousands were evacuated as rivers in the Urals, western Siberia, and Volga area reached dangerous levels, with Orenburg expecting the worst flooding in decades. The Kremlin warned of inevitable floods in western Siberia's Kurgan and Tyumen regions, necessitating evacuations and emergency measures.

Russian Authorities Evacuate Thousands as Dam Breach Leads to Flooding

Over 4,000 people, including 1,019 children, have been evacuated in the Orenburg region of Russia near the Kazakhstan border after a dam on the Ural river burst due to heavy rainfall, impacting more than 2,500 homes. Thousands of residents were rescued via lifeboats and the flood has been described as one of the largest natural disasters in Kazakhstan in 80 years. The Russian government has opened a criminal investigation into the dam breach for negligence and violation of construction safety rules, attributing the incident to poor maintenance.

Dike Rupture in Orsk, Russia Prompts Evacuations

Heavy rainfall in the Russian city of Orsk has caused a dike to rupture, putting over 4,000 houses and 10,000 people at risk of flooding. The Orenburg region has seen over 1,800 homes flooded and more than 3,000 evacuations. Efforts are underway to repair the dike and evacuate residents to temporary accommodation centers. The flooding is a result of extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.

Russian President Putin Claims Terrorist Attack Suspects Were Trying to Escape to Ukraine Amid Denials by Ukraine Officials

Russian President Putin claims that the suspects of a terrorist attack in Moscow were attempting to escape to Ukraine, while Ukraine officials deny any involvement. Prior to the attack, the U.S. embassy issued a warning to Americans about imminent plans for an attack at large gatherings, which was later claimed by ISIS. Putin dismissed U.S. warnings as blackmail days before the attack, and the State Department confirmed U.S. intelligence on the planned attack in Moscow. The attack at the concert hall resulted in over 130 casualties.

Gunmen Kill 40 at Concert Hall in Moscow

Gunmen wearing combat fatigues killed at least 40 people and wounded over 100 at a concert hall in Moscow. The attackers threw explosives causing a massive blaze, and reports suggest children were among the dead. The incident is being investigated as terrorism, marking Russia's deadliest attack in recent years. Security has been heightened in Moscow, with President Putin staying updated on the situation.

Terrorist Attack in Moscow Kills Over 137 People, Second Deadliest in Russian History

A terrorist attack on concertgoers in Moscow left over 137 people dead, making it one of Russia's deadliest attacks in recent history, second only to the Beslan hostage incident in 2004. Russia, amid ongoing conflict with Ukraine, faces a challenging period. President Putin's spokesman declared Russia to be in a state of war. The attack, occurring after Putin's re-election, aimed to destabilize Russia. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility, but discrepancies in the attack's modus operandi raise questions about the true perpetrators.

Ukrainian President Denies Involvement in Moscow Concert Attack as Russia Claims Capture of Ukrainian Village

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy accused Russian President Putin of trying to shift blame onto Ukraine for the Moscow concert hall attack that killed 133 people. Moscow claimed capturing the village of Ivanivske near Bakhmut. Zelenskiy denied Ukrainian involvement in the attack, attributed to the Islamic State group. Russian forces seized multiple frontline settlements, while Ukraine conducted air attacks on the Russian border. Putin accused Ukraine of collaborating with the attackers, leading to Zelenskiy denouncing the claims. The situation remains tense between the two countries.

International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova (Wikipedia)

On 17 March 2023, following an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights, alleging responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of children during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The warrant against Putin is the first against the leader of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.The 123 member states of the ICC are obliged to detain and transfer Putin and Lvova-Belova if either sets foot on their territory.

Economy of Kazakhstan (Wikipedia)

The economy of Kazakhstan is the largest in Central Asia in both absolute and per capita terms. In 2021, Kazakhstan attracted more than US$370 billion of foreign investments since becoming an independent republic after the collapse of the former Soviet Union.It possesses oil reserves as well as minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential, with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production. The mountains in the south are important for apples and walnuts; both species grow wild there. Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources.The Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the collapse of demand for Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products have resulted in a sharp decline of the economy since 1991, with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. In 1995–97 the pace of the government program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. Kazakhstan was granted "market economy country" status by the European Union and the United States, in 2000 and 2002 respectively.The December 1996 signing of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium agreement to build a new pipeline from western Kazakhstan's Tengiz Field through Russia to the Black Sea increased prospects for substantially larger oil exports until Putin took issue with the lukewarm support he experienced in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine from Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kazakhstan's economy turned downward in 1998 with a 2.5% decline in GDP growth due to slumping oil prices and the August financial crisis in Russia. A bright spot in 1999 was the recovery of international petroleum prices, which, combined with a well-timed tenge devaluation and a bumper grain harvest, pulled the economy out of recession.GDP per capita shrank by 26% in the 1990s. In the 2000s, Kazakhstan's economy grew sharply, aided by increased prices on world markets for Kazakhstan's leading exports: oil, metals and grain. GDP grew 9.6% in 2000, up from 1.7% in 1999. In 2006, extremely high GDP growth had been sustained, and grew by 10.6%. Business with the booming economies of Russia and China, as well as neighboring Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations have helped to propel this growth. The increased economic growth also led to a turn-around in government finances, with the budget moving from a cash deficit of 3.7% of GDP in 1999 to 0.1% surplus in 2000. The country experienced a slowdown in economic growth from 2014, sparked by falling oil prices and the effects of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The country's currency was devalued by 19% in 2014 and by 22% in 2015.In 2017, the World Economic Forum compiled its Global Competitiveness Ranking, ranking Kazakhstan 57th out of 144 countries. The ranking considers multiple macroeconomic and financial factors, such as market size, GDP, tax rates, infrastructure development, etc. In 2012, the World Economic Forum listed corruption as the biggest problem in doing business in the country, while the World Bank listed Kazakhstan as a corruption hotspot, on a par with Angola, Bolivia, Kenya, Libya and Pakistan. Kazakhstan scored 31 points out of 100 in Transparency International's 2018 edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index, indicating high levels of corruption.Cyril Muller, the World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, visited Astana in January 2017. He praised the country's progress, made during the 25-year partnership with the World Bank. Muller also talked about Kazakhstan's improved positioning in the World Bank's Doing Business Report 2017, where Kazakhstan ranked 35th out of 190 countries worldwide. After 2000, the government conducted several public sector reforms and adopted the New Public Management (NPM) approach, which was aimed at reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of the public service delivery.Kazakhstan secured the 3rd position in the Central and South Asia regional ranking of the 2018 Global Innovation Index (GII) released by World Intellectual Property Organization.The main producer of cotton pulp in Kazakhstan is Khlopkoprom. Judging by a number of transactions, its products have been supplied to gunpowder manufacturers in the Russian Federation since 2022. Most of the factories that imported pulp from Kazakhstan for the manufacture of explosives are under US and Ukrainian sanctions. According to OCCRP, Vlast, and iStories, a significant increase in Kazakhstan's exports of cotton pulp and derivatives to the Russian Federation after February 24, 2022, was identified. Exported components are key in the manufacture of explosives and gunpowder. There are contracts for the supply of raw materials to the Kazan Gunpowder Plant from Kazakhstan until 2026, and to the Aleksinsky Chemical Plant (which also produces gunpowder) until 2024.

Russian Papers Blame Ukraine and the West for Concert Attack Despite ISIS Claim

Russian newspapers continue to blame Ukraine and the West for the mass shooting at the Crocus City concert hall, even though the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility. The attack resulted in at least 139 deaths and 360 wounded, including 11 children. Russian officials, including President Putin, have accused Ukraine and the West without concrete evidence. Belarusian President Lukashenko suggested the gunmen initially tried to flee to Belarus. The United States and ISIS both deny Russian claims, with social media posting videos of the attackers. Russian authorities have detained 11 suspects, with 8 identities known.

Vladimir Putin (Wikipedia)

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who is the President of Russia. Putin has held continuous positions as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012, and as president from 2000 to 2008 and since 2012. He is the longest-serving Russian or Soviet leader since Joseph Stalin.Putin worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel before resigning in 1991 to begin a political career in Saint Petersburg. In 1996, he moved to Moscow to join the administration of President Boris Yeltsin. He briefly served as the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and then as secretary of the Security Council of Russia before being appointed prime minister in August 1999. Following Yeltsin's resignation, Putin became acting president and, in less than four months, was elected to his first term as president. He was subsequently reelected in 2004. Due to constitutional limitations of two consecutive presidential terms, Putin served as prime minister again from 2008 to 2012 under Dmitry Medvedev. He returned to the presidency in 2012, following an election marked by allegations of fraud and protests, and was reelected in 2018. In April 2021, after a referendum, he signed into law constitutional amendments that included one allowing him to run for reelection twice more, potentially extending his presidency to 2036.During Putin's initial presidential tenure, the Russian economy grew on average by seven percent per year, driven by economic reforms and a fivefold increase in the price of oil and gas. Additionally, Putin led Russia in a conflict against Chechen separatists, reestablishing federal control over the region. While serving as prime minister under Medvedev, he oversaw a military conflict with Georgia and enacted military and police reforms. In his third presidential term, Russia annexed Crimea and supported a war in eastern Ukraine through several military incursions, resulting in international sanctions and a financial crisis in Russia. He also ordered a military intervention in Syria to support his ally Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war, ultimately securing permanent naval bases in the Eastern Mediterranean. In his fourth presidential term, he launched a significant invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which prompted international condemnation and led to expanded sanctions. In September 2022, he announced a partial mobilization and forcibly annexed four Ukrainian oblasts into Russia. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes related to his alleged criminal responsibility for illegal child abductions during the war.Under Putin's rule, Russian political system has been transformed into an authoritarian dictatorship. His rule has been marked by endemic corruption and widespread human rights violations, including the imprisonment and suppression of political opponents, intimidation and censorship of independent media in Russia, and a lack of free and fair elections. Putin's Russia has consistently received low scores on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, The Economist Democracy Index, Freedom House's Freedom in the World index, and the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.

Volga (Wikipedia)

The Volga (Russian: Во́лга) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of 3,531 km (2,194 mi), and a catchment area of 1,360,000 km2 (530,000 sq mi). It is also Europe's largest river in terms of average discharge at delta – between 8,000 m3/s (280,000 cu ft/s) and 8,500 m3/s (300,000 cu ft/s) – and of drainage basin. It is widely regarded as the national river of Russia. The hypothetical old Russian state, the Rus' Khaganate, arose along the Volga c. 830 AD. Historically, the river served as an important meeting place of various Eurasian civilizations.The river flows in Russia through forests, forest steppes and steppes. Five of the ten largest cities of Russia, including the nation's capital, Moscow, are located in the Volga's drainage basin.Some of the largest reservoirs in the world are located along the Volga River. The river has a symbolic meaning in Russian culture – Russian literature and folklore often refer to it as Волга-матушка Volga-Matushka (Mother Volga).

List of cities in Kazakhstan (Wikipedia)

As of March 2017, the share of Kazakhstan's urban population is 53%. Kazakhstan's modernization program and innovative development path are expected to accelerate the country's urbanization processes resulting in increased share of urban population from 53% to 70% by 2030.The following is a list of cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants in Kazakhstan. The names of many places have been changed during the 20th and 21st centuries, sometimes more than once. Wherever possible, the old names have been included and linked to the new ones.

Russia Claims to Have Killed Over 200 Pro-Ukraine Fighters in Border Incursion

Russia claimed to have killed 234 pro-Ukraine fighters in a major armed incursion near the border village of Tyotkino. The Freedom of Russia Legion, Siberian Battalion, and Russian Volunteer Corps posted videos of the conflict in Russia's western regions. The Russian Defense Ministry blamed the attack on the 'Kyiv regime' and Ukraine's 'terrorist formations.' Russia launched devastating strikes in central Ukrainian cities, resulting in casualties including children.

Central Federal District (Wikipedia)

The Central Federal District (Russian: Центра́льный федера́льный о́круг, romanized: Tsentral'nyy federal'nyy okrug, IPA: [tsɨnˈtralʲnɨj fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnɨj ˈokrʊk]) is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Geographically, the district is situated in the extreme west of present-day Russia; although it can be considered as the central region of European Russia. The district covers an area of 650,200 square kilometers (251,000 sq mi), and recorded a population of 40,334,532 (82.1% urban) in the 2021 Census. The Presidential Envoy to the Central Federal District is Igor Shchyogolev.

Astana (Wikipedia)

Astana (Kazakh: Астана, romanized: Astana, Kazakh pronunciation: [ɑ̝s.tɑ̝.nɑ̝] ), previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, though administered as a city with special status separately from the rest of the region. A 2022 official estimate reported a population of 1,350,228 within the city limits, making it the second-largest city in the country, after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997; since then it has grown and developed economically into one of the most modern cities in Central Asia. In 2021, the government selected Astana as one of the 10 priority destinations for tourist development.Modern Astana is a planned city, following the process of other planned capitals. After it became the capital of Kazakhstan, the city dramatically changed shape with its master-plan designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. As the seat of the government of Kazakhstan, Astana is the site of the Parliament House, Supreme Court, Ak Orda Presidential Palace and numerous government departments and agencies. It is home to a range of futuristic buildings, including many skyscrapers.

Kazakhstan (Wikipedia)

Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country mostly in Central Asia, with a part in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbekistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest, with a coastline along the Caspian Sea. Its capital is Astana, while the largest city and leading cultural and commercial hub is Almaty. Kazakhstan is the world's ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country. It has a population of 20 million and one of the lowest population densities in the world, at fewer than 6 people per square kilometre (16 people/sq mi). Ethnic Kazakhs constitute a majority, while ethnic Russians form a significant minority. Officially secular, Kazakhstan is a Muslim-majority country, although ethnic Russians in the country form a sizeable Christian community.Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. In antiquity, various nomadic Iranian peoples such as the Saka, Massagetae, and Scythians dominated the territory, with the Achaemenid Persian Empire expanding towards the southern region. Turkic nomads entered the region from as early as the sixth century. In the 13th century, the area was subjugated by the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan. Following the disintegration of the Golden Horde in the 15th century, the Kazakh Khanate was established over an area roughly corresponding with modern Kazakhstan. By the 18th century, the Kazakh Khanate had fragmented into three jüz (tribal divisions), which were gradually absorbed and conquered by the Russian Empire; by the mid-19th century, all of Kazakhstan was nominally under Russian rule. Following the 1917 Russian Revolution and subsequent Russian Civil War, the territory was reorganized several times. In 1936, its modern borders were established with the formation of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan was the last Soviet republic to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union from 1988 to 1991.Kazakhstan dominates Central Asia economically and politically, accounting for 60 percent of the region's GDP, primarily through its oil and gas industry; it also has vast mineral resources. Kazakhstan has the highest Human Development Index ranking in the region. It is de jure a democratic, unitary, constitutional republic; however, it is de facto an authoritarian regime with no free elections. Nevertheless, there have been incremental efforts at democratization and political reform since the 2019 resignation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Kazakhstan is a member state of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Commonwealth of Independent States, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Eurasian Economic Union, Collective Security Treaty Organization, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Organization of Turkic States, and International Organization of Turkic Culture.