Putin Assails Transit Officials for Response to Ice Storm at Airports

MOSCOW — Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin of Russia chastised senior transportation officials on Wednesday for failing to respond adequately to widespread cancellations and delays at Moscow’s two major airports in the wake of an ice storm last weekend. He ordered the officials to call off their plans for the traditional 10-day New Year’s holiday — Russia’s most important — to prevent similar problems in the coming weeks.

Power failures and other weather-related troubles all but shut the airports earlier this week, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Many were angered by a lack of information, and there were reports of disturbances and even attacks on airport workers. State television showed scenes of passengers mounting protests and chanting slogans against the management of the two airports, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo.

On Tuesday, President Dmitri A. Medvedev told prosecutors to examine whether the authorities had mishandled the response to the ice storm, which occurred when an unusual warming melted snow and caused rain. That was followed by freezing temperatures that left a thick coat of ice everywhere and took down electrical lines.

Mr. Putin seemed eager to signal his concern about what had happened. “Of course, the situation is complicated, and not everything is our fault,” Mr. Putin said at a meeting with transportation officials. “But we shouldn’t moan about it. Everyone needs to get to work.”

He criticized the airports for communicating poorly with passengers. “Domodedovo because of accidents had its electricity cut off, and people continued to arrive at the airport,” he said. “What warnings were there? Zero! And more than 8,000 people massed there. What kind of operations are that?”

Over the summer, the Moscow region suffered a record heat wave and was blanketed by smoke from forest fires in the suburbs. City officials were condemned for being unprepared.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/world/europe/30moscow.html

Churches unite to help thousands of stranded passengers in Moscow's airports

Religious organizations in Russia have begun efforts to help the thousands of passengers stranded for days in Moscow airports.

Thousands of passengers remain stranded at the Moscow major airports of Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo following an ice storm that hit the entire territory of Central Russia over the weekend. Hundreds of flights have been canceled and delayed as severe freezing rain caused serious power outages. Some 20,000 passengers have been affected by the weather.

The Jewish Community Federation of Russia on Tuesday sent a truck loaded with 1,500 bottles of water and children's wafers to Domodedovo International Airport.

Most of the aid sent to the capital's airports are for families with small children.

"We understand that our help today to those at Domodedovo Airport is a minor contribution to what they need right now, but we nonetheless hope that even this will help the people," the Jewish Community's president, Alexander Boroda, said.

When asked if the religious organizations' activities could be coordinated into one single organization, Andrei Glotser, a member of the Jewish community, said that unfortunately there are no inter-confessional groups to handle crisis situations in Russia as of yet, but the creation of such a group was discussed earlier in December.

"Today, 500 bottles of water, around 200 packs of moist towels, and approximately 1,000 disposable diapers will be delivered to Domodedovo," the Russian Orthodox Church's Social Activity and Charity Department's press secretary, Vasily Rulinsky, said.

The Islamic Russia Muftis Council will on Wednesday hand out traditional pastries to the passengers stranded at Domodedovo, Moscow's head imam, Ildar Alyautdinov, told RIA Novosti.

"We are happy to take part in the charity work initiated by the Jewish Community Federation of Russia and the Orthodox Church. On Wednesday we will deliver more than 1,000 echmochmak pastries to the airports of the Russian capital, where thousands of passengers are in need of help," Alyautdinov said.

The charity members of the churches said that the situation is not as acute at the Sheremetyevo or Vnukovo airports, but said they would help if that need arises.

Russia's head doctor, Gennady Onishchenko, who visited Domodedovo International Airport earlier on Tuesday, said that the airport is extremely overcrowed as it was designed to hold some 3,000 people; however, the number of people has risen to approximately 10,000. "I'm glad the toilets are still working," he said.

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http://en.rian.ru/russia/20101228/161973595.html