Smog to cover Moscow in a week – Greenpeace

The Russian wing of Greenpeace says unless action is taken now, the Russian capital will be covered in smog in less than seven days.

­Greenpeace representatives said that wildfires spread across the country even sooner than last year, which makes the situation more dangerous.

“The peat-bog fires in central Russia are a huge danger and may result in smog covering Moscow like last year,” said Grigory Kuksin, head of Greenpeace Russia’s Anti-Fires Department. “Unfortunately, the Emergencies Ministry doesn't take the fires seriously, and so far we haven't been able to change this situation. They prefer to hide the problem rather than solve it – yet time is running out.”

The group says there are currently a number of peat-bog fires near the capital that are spreading rapidly – which is denied by the Emergencies Ministry, which is currently fighting worsening wildfires in Siberia and the Far East.

“Today, the most dangerous situation is in Russia's Far East – in the republics of Sakha, Yakutia, Khabarovsk and the Amur regions,” said Vladimir Stepanov, from the Emergencies Ministry coordination center. “We constantly monitor all other federal districts. Of course, there are fires starting up there as well, but so far the situation is under control.”