Wildfires kill 23 in Russia's Siberia
Wildfires in the Russian region of Khakassia in southern Siberia have killed 23 people, the Investigative Committee, a state body that reports directly to President Vladimir Putin, said on Monday. The region's leader, Viktor Zimin, put the initial cost of the damage caused by the wildfires at around $96 million. Wildfires in Russia often start when locals set grass on fire on rolling fields to clean them up after the winter, a widespread practice criticised by environmentalists as well as state officials.