Russia continues battling 128 wildfires in 20 regions

MOSCOW

Wildfires continue raging in eastern Russia with 128 blazes in 20 regions of particular concern, the country's Federal Agency for Forestry said on Friday.

The wildfires have spread over an area of more than 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres), with over 7,000 firefighters and personnel deployed along with 1,283 units of equipment and 27 aircraft, it said in a statement on its official website.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in six regions due to the fire threat, as well as a specific fire protection regime in 59 others.

Speaking at a meeting with members of the government on Aug.14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "The scale and the character of natural disasters in some areas are absolutely unprecedented."

He also noted that climate change leads to fast-spreading wildfires due to drought and strong winds in Siberia and the Far East.