Russian jets bomb ice-clogged rivers

Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Moscow - Russian military jets are waging war against an unusual enemy - ice.

A total of 15 Sukhoi fighter planes and Mi-8 combat helicopters have been deployed to bomb ice blocking rivers in Siberia and far Eastern regions to prevent flooding, defense spokesman Vladimir Drik told the state-run Ria Nowosti news agency Wednesday.

He said only the best pilots were being recruited for these missions, which target large waterways such as the Ob, Yenisey, Lena and Amur rivers.

During thawing season, the ice sheets often get stuck, backing up water and causing some of Russia's vast rivers to flood. Removing the ice dams will allow the water to run off more quickly.

Moscow's civil defense ministry estimates that some 3,000 towns with a combined 2 million or so inhabitants are threatened by spring flooding.

Russia also uses its air force to shoot rain-inducing chemicals into clouds, so that the capital is sun-drenched during important holidays.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/315634,russian-jets-bomb-ice-clogged-rivers.html.