A Russian Cabinet member says the nation would have suffered less severe damage from wildfires this summer if authorities had engaged firefighting aircraft more quickly.
Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu told lawmakers Tuesday that officials in the regions affected by the fires should have asked the federal government to send planes to help fight blazes before they swept out of control.
Shoigu also says provincial authorities should have banned local residents from visiting drought-dried forests, in order to help prevent blazes.
The hottest summer since records began 130 years ago and an accompanying drought sparked tens of thousands of fires in Russia. More than 50 people have died directly in the fires, and about 2,500 residences across Russia were destroyed.
