The heads of several southern Russian regions that had been affected by natural disasters, briefed President Putin about the losses incurred, the pace of rescue and clean-up operations and their cooperation with the Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief Ministry, the Defence Ministry and other federal agencies.
Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone with President Magomedali Magomedov of Dagestan, President Valery Kokov of Kabardino-Balkaria, Vladimir Semyonov of the Karachai-Circassian Republic, President Khazret Sovmen of Adygea, President Alexander Dzasokhov of North Ossetia-Alania and Governors Alexander Tkachyov and Alexander Chernogorov of the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions.
The Russian leader said the authorities’ first priority must be to aid people whose homes had been inundated.