The Minister of National Defence Gabriel Oprea ordered Wednesday evening, February 1^st, that troops and equipment be prepared to offer assistance all over the country, if requested by local or central authorities, for the containment of the effects of massive snowfalls, snow storms and extreme weather conditions forecast for the 2nd to 7th February.

The military are ready to intervene with about 4000 troops and 1000 equipment. Personnel can be increased with up to another 4000 troops according to developments. The troops and means of the Ministry of National Defence assigned for such interventions will be organized in detachments and will be able to evacuate population, to clear roads of snow, to clear cars out of the snow and to evacuate medical cases by air or by land.
At the extraordinary meeting of the National Committee for Emergency Situations scheduled for Thursday at 16.00, the chief of Genral Staff, Lieutenant General Stefan Danila, will present the action plans in place at the level of the entire Armed Forces taken to accomplish the assistance missions provided in H.G. nr. 2288/2004.
The defence ministry keeps the situation in the country under observation, through its specialized structure in the General Staff so that they should be able to intervene in support of the population affected by the extreme weather conditions. From 31^st January to 2^nd February, the military tugboat of the Romanian Navy transported over 250 people on the Danube river, from and to Tulcea and Tudor Vladimirescu. The restriction of circulation of commercial boats on the Danube, of Tuesday, 31^st January, issued by Tulcea Harbor Master's Office, due to ice blocks floating on the river, continues.

MoND Press Office