15 villages in Dagestan remain without transport links after severe weather

Workers were able to clear snow from two sections of mountain roads, and work is underway on another 10 sections. A total of 15 villages in the mountainous regions of Dagestan remain without transport links to the outside world.

Emergency repair work is underway on dozens of road sections in Dagestan that remain closed following floods, landslides, and snowstorms in the mountainous regions, the Dagestan Ministry of Transport reported today.

"Today, vehicle access was ensured under a temporary scheme on two mountain sections: the Khasavyurt-Tlokh road from km 48 to km 56 (Kharibsky Pass, Gumbetovsky District) and the Tlyadal-Bezhta-Kidero road from km 14 to km 25 (Ginukhsky Pass, Bezhta section, Tsuntinsky District). Work to clear the roads to full roadway width continues," the report stated.

Ten road sections remain closed. Another 18 sections have been closed with detours in place, and traffic has been fully restored on 107 sections, the department reported, adding that more than 100 pieces of road equipment—bulldozers, excavators, front-end loaders, road construction equipment, and motor graders—and 295 workers were involved in the cleanup efforts in the republic.

Currently, 62 pieces of equipment and 103 workers are clearing roads.

As of this morning, 15 settlements remain without transport links: 6 in the Tlyaratinsky District, 6 in the Dakhadaevsky District, 1 in the Kazbekovsky District, and 2 in the Tsumadinsky District, Dagestanavtodor reported.

As a reminder, flooding caused by heavy rains has been ongoing in the North Caucasus since the end of March. They have become some of the most destructive in recent years. Dagestan and Chechnya suffered the most from the elements, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Spring flooding in the North Caucasus-2026".

Alexey Gunya: Dagestan is facing a new climate reality

The Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences has linked regular flooding in Dagestan to a combination of natural processes and anthropogenic impacts, which exacerbate the scale of natural disasters. In particular, development on river floodplains, deforestation, and the disregard for water protection zones "literally multiply the consequences" of flooding, which under other conditions could have been relatively calm, noted Doctor of Geographical Sciences Alexey Gunya.

Dagestani analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" also named ill-considered development, natural factors, and the deplorable state of hydraulic structures among the causes of the devastating flooding. At the same time, they unanimously considered the volunteers' contribution to the fight against the consequences of the flood to be significant.

The Caucasian Knot has compiled materials about flooding in the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District in the spring of 2026 on the thematic page "Flooding in the North Caucasus".