Russian Emergencies Ministry Plans To Build Monitoring Center In Southern Kurils By 2019

The Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Tuesday that it was planning to build an emergency and rescue center for the monitoring and prediction of emergency situations in the southern Kuril islands by 2019, according to the information published on the official website of public purchase contracts.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) The Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Tuesday that it was planning to build an emergency and rescue center for the monitoring and prediction of emergency situations in the southern Kuril islands by 2019, according to the information published on the official website of public purchase contracts.

The center will be located in a settlement on Iturup island, one of four Kuril islands, which have been in the center of the long-standing dispute between Russia and Japan. The project's main objective is to protect the territory and the population of the Kuril islands from natural and human-made disasters, the ministry said.

The plan envisages the construction of a one-storey emergency and rescue center, a diesel power station, a site for waste containers and a temporary parking.

The construction works are set to be completed by October 20, 2019 with the costs estimated at 68.7 million rubles (over $1 million).

The Kuril islands are claimed by both Russia and Japan with Moscow currently governing the region. Tokyo has been expressing regular protests over the visits of Russian officials to the disputed islands with the most recent protest related to Russia deploying Su-35 fighter jets on Iturup island.