Members of the Russian Emergencies Ministry stand next to a helicopter near the site of a wildfire in Krasnoyarsk region, Russia in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on August 1, 2019. Russian Emergencies Ministry in Krasnoyarsk region/Handout via REUTERS
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday ordered Russian police to investigate if wildfires in Siberia could have been started deliberately to conceal illegal logging activity, as army planes flew in to help firefighters battle the blazes.
Russia's Investigative Committee also said it had opened a criminal case over the fires and was investigating officials in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk for suspected negligence at having not taken action to stop them.
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