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In the extreme southeast of Russia, about 10 days after an ice storm, thousands of people are still without power. The situation is particularly tense on Russky Island near the Pacific city of Vladivostok.
The repair of power lines is under high pressure, authorities said. The inhabitants of many towns should be able to turn the lights back on this weekend.
The minister responsible for the Far East, Alexei Chekunkov, had previously spoken of a total of some 4,000 people in the Primorye region who had been sitting in the dark for days. At peak times, 180,000 residents were without power. In addition, thousands of people were sometimes left without heating. In Vladivostok, the outside temperature was minus four degrees on Saturday.
Freezing rain had fallen in the region last week. There was a thick layer of ice on trees and cars. Many power lines were broken under load.
Many residents of the affected areas still receive hot food and water. A major bridge to Russky Island is still closed because chunks of ice could fall on cars and injure people.
In Vladivostok, thousands of people volunteered to clean up on Saturday, clearing roads of ice, for example.
