The Minister of National Defence, Gabriel Oprea, together with a delegation of the General Staff, traveled to the towns of Saucesti, Bacau County and Halaucesti, Iasi County on Thursday, July 1. At present, some 137 soldiers of the defence ministry work there with 10 vehicles in an effort to bring relief to the flood-stricken population.

The defence minister was satisfied with the soldiers’ efforts and thanked them for their dedication in the work they did for the containment of flood damages. Mr. Oprea was informed on the missions of the military men involved in the works there. Together with Iasi County prefect, Dragomir Tomaseschi, and the mayors of Saucesti and Mircesti, Costinel Manea and Antalut Petru, the minster analyzed the further steps to be taken in support of the local authorities of the flooded or flood-threatened areas along Siret River.

The minister reassured the population and the local authorities that the military are going to be ready to respond immediately with human and technical resources to all requests, until this difficult stage was over.

After having analyzed the situation on site, Minister Oprea decided that the number of soldiers be quickly increased and that logistic detachments be deployed there in case evacuated people need shelter, also to bring vehicles and engineer technology to consolidate the Siret River dams and to unblock access routes.

At present, 92 troops of the 115th Communications Center, the 631st Tank Battalion, 95th Air Flotilla, 208th Radar Company, 498th Paratroops Battalion and the 635th Air Defence Artillery Battalion with six vehicles work to raise the protection dams along the Siret River, in Saucesti, Bacau County.

Already on Thursday morning, 45 troops of the 151st Infantry and 198th Logistic Battalions began working with four vehicles in Halaucesti, Iasi County; at noon they moved to Mircesti, in the same county, to work on consolidating Siret River dams.

On the same day, troops of the 10th Engineer Brigade of Braila, started putting together a pontoon bridge, ready to be set in place in Dornesti Suceava County, as soon as local authorities requested it.

From June 22 to July 1, the defence ministry troops were requested to intervene in the counties of Alba, Galati, Neamt, Botosani, Bacau, Iasi and Covasna for search and rescue of people, for unblocking access routes, for helping in raising dams; all in all there were 32 interventions that involved 772 soldiers and 57 vehicles.

Specialized structures of the General Staff in the defence ministry are permanently monitoring the situation in the country in order to be able to intervene at the request of
local authorities, in accordance with the cooperation plans established for emergency situations.

MoND Press Office