The situation is particularly dire in Orenburg, a city of 500,000 people, where the Ural River, Europe's third-longest, is expected to reach unprecedented heights on Wednesday. Local authorities have declared an evacuation order for residents in flood-prone areas, urging them to leave their homes immediately.

The flooding began over the weekend when the Ural River burst through a dam embankment in Orsk, located upstream from Orenburg. Over 10,000 homes across the region are already submerged.

The emergency ministry warned of rising air temperatures, accelerated snowmelt, and further river overflows. The critical situation has prompted President Vladimir Putin to establish a government commission to address the crisis.

Meanwhile, residents in Orsk, the hardest-hit city so far, have staged protests criticizing the official response to the disaster. Evacuations are also underway in Kurgan and Tyumen regions, located east of the Ural Mountains, where states of emergency have been declared. (ILKHA)