In the face of an extreme cyclone and a heightened avalanche warning in Kamchatka, the Pacific Fleet has launched an unconventional operation. Since January 13, crews of 122-mm D-30 howitzers have been conducting artillery shelling of avalanche-prone slopes in the Vilyuchinsky Pass area. The goal is to trigger a controlled descent of snow masses to prevent natural avalanches near populated areas and protect critical infrastructure, including the high-voltage line of the Mutnovsky Geothermal Power Plant.
Artillery strikes are being carried out on predetermined sections of the slopes along the highway connecting the village of Termalny with the Vilyuchinsky Pass - an area where the peninsula's energy artery passes.
According to the press service of the Pacific Fleet, the use of D-30 howitzers allows for the precise and effective initiation of the descent of unstable snow accumulations, minimizing the threat to residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and surrounding areas. This method of artificial avalanche release has long proven itself in mountainous regions of the world and is included in the arsenal of civil defense in Russia.
The unstable situation is caused by a powerful Sea of Okhotsk cyclone that reached the coast of Kamchatka on the night of January 13. Wind gusts in some places exceed 45 m/s, which significantly increases the load on the snow cover and contributes to the formation of avalanche-prone conditions.
The military continues to monitor the situation and is ready to conduct additional artillery salvos if the avalanche situation changes.