Russia will conduct a nationwide test of public emergency warning systems on Wednesday, triggering sirens and interrupting television broadcasts to alert the population of imminent danger, Reuters reports.
Moscow, view to the financial center of the Russian capital (Moskva City)Photo: Vitaliy Belousov / Sputnik / Profimedia Images
The test, carried out for the first time in 2020, is part of a new initiative requiring authorities to carry out tests twice a year from September 1.
But it intervenes against the background of the war in Ukraine, which triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
At 10:43 a.m. Moscow time (0743 GMT), sirens will sound and “Attention everyone!” announcements will alert the population, mimicking what would happen in the event of a real disaster or catastrophe.
“When you hear the sound of a siren, you should keep calm and not panic, turn on the TV, any publicly accessible channel or the radio, and listen to the information message,” the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement .
“The warning system is designed to send a timely signal to the population in the event of a natural or man-made threat or emergency.”
And the US is testing the public warning system
The United States is also conducting a large-scale test of public warning systems on Wednesday, via cellphones and US radio and television stations.
The purpose of the US test is to ensure that the systems “continue to be effective in alerting the public in the event of an emergency, particularly at the national level,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a press release.
Many other countries have also conducted tests of crisis and disaster alert systems in recent years.
The test in Russia coincides with the 91st anniversary of the creation of Russia’s civil defense system and follows nationwide educational exercises in August on practicing actions and procedures in emergency situations, Russian media reported.
The purpose of the tests in Russia is to evaluate warning systems, train personnel responsible for launching them and raise public awareness, the Russian emergency ministry said.
