Amid an extreme cyclone and an elevated avalanche danger declared in Kamchatka, the Pacific Fleet has begun an unusual operation — since January 13, crews of 122-mm D-30 howitzers have been conducting artillery fire on avalanche-prone slopes in the area of the Vilyuchinsky Pass. The goal is to trigger a controlled release of snow masses in order to prevent natural avalanches near populated areas and protect critical infrastructure, including the high-voltage line of the Mutnovskaya GeoTPP.
The artillery strikes are being carried out against pre-designated areas on the slopes of hills along the road connecting the settlement of Termalny with Vilyuchinsky Pass — a zone through which the peninsula's energy artery runs.
According to the Pacific Fleet press service, the use of D-30 howitzers makes it possible to accurately and effectively initiate the release of unstable snow accumulations, minimizing the threat to residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and adjacent areas. This method of artificially releasing avalanches has long proven itself in mountainous regions around the world and is included in Russia's civil protection arsenal.
The unstable situation has been caused by a powerful Sea of Okhotsk cyclone, which reached the coast of Kamchatka on the night of January 13. Wind gusts in some places exceed 45 m/s, significantly increasing the load on the snow cover and contributing to the formation of avalanche-prone conditions.
The military continues to monitor the situation and is ready to carry out additional artillery salvos if the avalanche situation changes.
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