"The fire season has started early in Siberia, as drought and strong winds fuel blazes in its carbon-rich peat forests. But with Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, this year's emergency response could suffer."
"Fires have broken out across Russia's vast forests and steppes in recent weeks, with blazes flaring up in several regions across southwestern Siberia. Several villages have already been destroyed by the flames, and local authorities have reported at least 10 dead in recent days.
The Siberian Times, an English-language newspaper that covers the area, has been posting videos showing dramatic scenes of the fires on Twitter since mid-April. DW has not independently verified the videos.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told regional officials to get the forest fires under control, saying they were posing a threat to life, the environment and the economy.
"We cannot allow a repeat of last year's situation, when forest fires were the most long-lasting and intensive of recent years," he said, in comments broadcast on state TV."
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