In Tatarstan, military engineers of the Russian Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with units of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and other services of the territorial subsystem of the State System for Disaster Prevention and Response, are conducting explosive works on the rivers.

      Today, the first explosive works of this year took place in the republic – at two sites on the Toyma River near the city of Mendeleevsk. The riverbed is winding, currently covered with ice, and runs along the entire settlement, and with the rapid melting of snow, it can bring many problems. Explosions of ice to protect settlements from the negative consequences of flooding are carried out by soldiers of the Kazan Higher Military Tank Command School named after Zhukov. The work of military engineers on site is supported by municipal authorities in collaboration with units of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for Tatarstan and other services of the territorial subsystem of the RSChS. To lay explosives in the thickness of the ice, the demolition experts from the Kazan tank school first drilled shafts in the ice of the Toyma River, where they placed more than 31 kilograms of explosives, and conducted 3 ice explosions over an area of 150 square meters. Such preventive measures ensure the safe passage of water during flooding. "Every year during flooding, preventive measures are taken in the republic for the favorable passage of the spring flood, including ice blasting works, sawing, and blackening of ice. Military personnel from the tank school are involved in conducting explosive works. Mainly, such works are carried out in hazardous areas or near road bridges. After the explosive works, the ice changes its structure and breaks down significantly faster. This year, 6 applications have been received from municipal districts for conducting explosive works. Applications from these districts are received annually. The water reserves in the snow this year are significantly larger. Monitoring of the water level rise is constantly conducted by specialists from the Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Department of the Republic of Tatarstan and 113 hydrological posts of the temporary observation network on the rivers and ponds of the republic. Information is provided daily to all interested municipalities and agencies. The Crisis Management Center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan is keeping the flood situation under control," reported Pavel Matyushev, head of the department for protecting the population and territories from emergencies of the Civil Defense and Population Protection Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan.