A quarter of all Russian forests, 89% of stocks in Sakha Republic, could be left to burn, even though they are essential to fight global warming.

'This is a very good signal to the Russian and international energy markets', Russian president stressed. 

New statistics on Saturday showed the vast scale of the human effort in Russia to halt a natural disaster that has destroyed swathes of woodland and taiga.

Damage from wave of floods already labelled 'catastrophic' with worse to come as Russian president Vladimir Putin demands: 'Put people first'.

Siberian Natalia Fileva, 55, co-owner of S7 airline, perished alongside her father in private plane tragedy in Germany.

Russia's ambassador to Washington calls for excavation of Fort Ross, the 19th century Russian settlement.

'Six die' as bridges swept away and 7,600 evacuated after heavy rains.