Vladimir Putin meets Premier and "power bloc" ministers

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met the Prime Minister and ministers of the "power" bloc. The participants in the meeting discussed restoration and rescue operations in the country's southern regions affected by the unprecedented flood.

The President demanded "to drastically improve" these operations. In particular, he dwelt at length on living conditions of the people staying in the encampments organized for those deprived of their houses as a result of the natural calamity. Vladimir Putin assessed those conditions as "unsatisfactory." The President specifically went into details regarding the situation with old people and school leavers. He instructed the chairman of the government to exercise personal control over the status of these two categories of citizens. Putin demanded to make as easy as possible conditions of life of old people among those who suffered as a result of the flood and to provide possibilities for school leavers to pass exams and to get prepared for institute examinations under these extreme conditions.