MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin changed the format of his traditional Saturday meeting with the Security Council members. Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, presidential chief of staff Dmitry Medvedev, Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev attended the meeting. They discussed issues of Russia's foreign and domestic policy.Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov, Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko, Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and CEO of RAO Unified Energy Systems (Russia's electricity monopoly) joined them later.
They discussed the May 25 power crisis which brought Moscow, the southern part of the Moscow region and some neighboring regions to a standstill. Power outage left Moscow's south without electricity, water and telephone communications. Metro and suburban trains were stopped and stock exchange trading was interrupted. According to preliminary information, the power crisis caused $600 million damage to Moscow.
Last Monday Putin asked the government to report on the investigation into the power crisis in the Moscow region and its consequences at the Saturday session of the Security Council.
