Local authorities and related agencies are actively addressing the dam-related incidents that occurred across Russia, according to a briefing by a Kremlin spokesperson. The comments came as authorities were assessing the breaches at the Kialimskoye reservoir in the Chelyabinsk region and the erosion damage affecting the lintels between locks on the White Sea-Baltic Canal in Karelia. Journalists used the briefing to ask whether the situation is being treated as a systemic challenge by the national leadership and what measures might be taken at multiple levels of government.
Peskov attributed responsibility for the issues to regional authorities and the pertinent ministries, describing the matters as primarily the domain of local governance and territorial agencies rather than a centralized policy problem. He suggested that the coordination of emergency response, preventive inspections, and infrastructure maintenance falls within the remit of regional administrations and their cooperating departments, with the central government monitoring the broader situation.
The Kialimskoye reservoir incident near Karabash in the Chelyabinsk region was reported to have been triggered by heavy rainfall and a rapid rise in water levels. Local officials indicated that the flood zone extended to several nearby villages, affecting hundreds of residents and prompting emergency measures. Official updates noted at least four villages facing danger, with roughly two hundred people placed at risk. The situation prompted contingency planning and rescue operations, as reported by regional media and government channels (Newspapers.Ru, 2024).
In Karelia, authorities described how a temporary bridge drifted between the 10th and 11th locks of the White Sea-Baltic Canal during ongoing reconstruction work. The bridge incident underscored the challenges of maintaining critical transport corridors while infrastructure upgrades are underway. Early information from regional authorities indicated that the emergency response was mobilized to secure the affected area and ensure safe passage for vessels navigating the canal system (official regional communications, 2024).
Initial casualty figures associated with the Karelia incident pointed to nine people affected by the emergency, with officials declaring a regional state of emergency to coordinate relief and recovery operations. Local teams conducted search-and-rescue activities, assessed damage to downstream infrastructure, and initiated safety advisories for nearby communities. The evolving situation has prompted ongoing briefings as authorities gather more data and implement protective measures for residents and workers in the area (regional government updates, 2024).
Residents and onlookers have described their experiences of escaping rising waters following the dam breach, illustrating how individuals assessed risks and moved to higher ground or safer locations. These testimonies contribute to a broader understanding of how such events unfold on the ground, informing future planning and emergency preparedness efforts in the region (community reports, 2024).