ISLAMABAD: Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday over the loss of life from recent flooding, state media reported, as monsoon rains triggered flash floods and hill torrents, submerging towns across northern Pakistan.
Putin’s message came as Pakistan’s monsoon death toll surged to 645 since late June, with 332 people killed in just the past two days amid continuing rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have deepened cooperation in recent years. In 2023, Islamabad imported discounted Russian crude oil banned in European markets following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Last December, both sides held intergovernmental meetings in Moscow to discuss collaboration on oil and gas exploration and refining.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk described the two countries as “natural allies” last month, saying Putin viewed Pakistan as a key partner for regional economic and energy development.
“President of Russia Vladimir Putin, in a condolence letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported, referring to the worst-hit Pakistani province.
