Monday, 25 May 2026
Dormant Russian volcano erupts for first time in 450 years
MOSCOW – A long-dormant volcano in Russia’s eastern Kamchatka region has erupted for the first time in 450 years, the country’s emergency services reported on Sunday, just days after one of the region’s most powerful earthquakes on record shook the area, according to AFP.
Striking photos released by Russian state media show a massive column of ash billowing from the Krasheninnikov volcano, which, as per the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, last erupted in 1550.
Kamchatka’s Ministry of Emergency Situations stated on Telegram that the ash plume soared to an estimated height of 6,000 meters (19,700 feet).
“The ash plume is moving eastwards from the volcano towards the Pacific Ocean. Its trajectory passes over uninhabited areas, and no ashfall has been observed in populated settlements,” the ministry confirmed.
In response, authorities have issued an “orange” aviation hazard level for the volcano, warning that flights in the region may face disruptions.
This eruption follows closely after the Klyuchevskoy volcano—Europe and Asia’s tallest active volcano—erupted on Wednesday.
Eruptions at Klyuchevskoy are comparatively frequent, with at least 18 recorded since 2000, according to the Global Volcanism Program.
Both events came in the aftermath of one of the strongest earthquakes ever registered in the region. The quake struck on Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings and the evacuation of millions of people from coastal areas stretching from Japan to Hawaii and Ecuador.
The most severe damage occurred in Russia, where a tsunami struck the port of Severo-Kurilsk, inundating a fishing plant, officials reported.
The magnitude 8.8 earthquake originated off the coast of Petropavlovsk on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. It was the most powerful tremor since 2011, when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Japan unleashed a tsunami that claimed over 15,000 lives.