Monday, 22 June 2009
A four-hectare island drifting on the Narva Reservoir has crossed the border between Russia and Estonia and floated to the Estonian shore, the Pohjarannik newspaper said on Monday.
An Estonian border chief said that there are several islands drifting on the Russian side of the Narva Reservoir, which marks the border between Russia and Estonia.
"This year, due to a high water levels the islands began to drift," the newspaper quoted Valeri Kiviselg as saying.
About three weeks ago Estonian radars picked up an unknown object floating down the Narva River towards a dam at a Russian hydroelectric plant near the border town of Ivangorod. Power plant workers managed to open the sluice gates in time, and the island, covering an area of about 6,000 square meters, floated further along to the Gulf of Finland.
Winds and currents, however, carried a four-hectare part of the island, covered with dense forest, to the Estonian shore last Friday. However, strong winds over the weekend have caused the island to drift again.
"It will continue to float further downstream," Kiviselg said.
Both the Russian and Estonian side are unable to predict the island's movements, but say it could damage buildings on the Narva River.
