Russian City of Orenburg: Flood Situation Remains Critical

The Mayor of Orenburg, Russia, indicated on Sunday that the flood situation in the city remains "critical" and that water levels are expected to continue rising in the coming days. In recent days, severe flooding has affected the Orenburg region in the Ural Mountains, as well as nearby Russian territories and parts of neighboring Kazakhstan, forcing at least 2,000 people to evacuate their homes. Russian news agencies reported that the Orysk Oil Refinery suspended operations on Sunday after a dam in the city was damaged by the flooding that struck the Orenburg region on Friday evening. The Russian News Agency mentioned that the halt in operations aims to prevent environmental risks. The refinery is located approximately 1,800 kilometers east of Moscow, near the border with Kazakhstan, and has an annual capacity of six million tons of oil.