Russia’s Shiveluch Volcano Erupts

Shiveluch, one of Russia’s most active volcanoes located on the remote Kamchatka Peninsula, has erupted, sending a massive plume of ash 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) into the sky. Russian monitoring agencies report that the dense ash cloud is currently spreading rapidly in a northeasterly direction. The ongoing volcanic activity poses a severe threat to aviation, following a top-level red alert issued just last month for all flights in the region. While the area is largely isolated, the volcano sits just 45 kilometers away from Klyuchi, a local settlement home to roughly 5,000 residents.