A police officer looks at the Ural River in Orenburg, Russia. In early April, Russia's Orenburg region was hit by floods caused by snowmelt, rising water levels in the Ural River and increased water releases from a local reservoir. On 5 April, a dam protecting Orsk from the Ural River burst, forcing the mass evacuation of residents. On April 13, the water level of the Ural River reached 1,171 cm.