You're reading: Kliuyev warns of threat of flooding in western Ukraine because of heavy rain

Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev, who is currently fulfilling the prime minister's duties, has said that there is a threat of flooding in Ukraine's western regions because of heavy rain.

"Heavy rain recently fell in the western regions, and water levels in rivers may rise," he said, while opening a government meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Kliuyev also ordered all concerned ministries and departments to prevent there being negative effects from a rise in water levels.

He also drew the attention of the Interior Ministry, the Environment Ministry and the Emergencies Ministry to the need to avoid the excessive extraction of building stone in the floodplains of rivers in western regions, which leads to the destruction of natural channels in these rivers.