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Akbar Novruz

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Residents of the village of Adilyotar in Russia's Republic of Dagestan have appealed to Vladimir Putin to personally oversee compensation payments and the issuance of housing certificates following devastating floods that struck the region this spring, AzerNEWS reports.

In a video address released on Sunday, residents said they fear they could be left without homes before winter, as reconstruction has yet to begin three months after the disaster.

"We are afraid that this winter we may be left without homes. Three months have passed since what happened. Our houses remain destroyed, and construction of new housing has not begun. We have received neither payments for building houses nor housing certificates," the villagers said.

Residents attributed the repeated flooding to problems with the Akhtash River, whose banks they say require reinforcement. They urged authorities to take immediate measures to restore safe living conditions. Although Adilyotar was flooded again in May, officials diverted part of the floodwaters toward nearby pastures, reducing the impact on the village.

On Monday, the administration of Khasavyurt District announced that local authorities had inspected ongoing preparatory work in Adilyotar. According to the administration, land-filling and levelling operations are nearing completion, while construction of a prefabricated modular school is scheduled to begin next.

Residents have repeatedly complained about the slow recovery. A previous video appeal released on June 13 raised the same concerns and also reported that the village cemetery had been washed away, forcing families to bury relatives in neighbouring communities.

In addition to severe damage to homes, villagers say they lost cattle, livestock, and poultry during the floods. They note that current legislation in Dagestan does not provide mandatory compensation for livestock losses.

Adilyotar was among the hardest-hit settlements during the April 2026 floods. The rural municipality, which also includes the villages of Kadyrotar and Tutlar, has a population of more than 4,000 people. According to local authorities, 457 of the settlement's 538 households were destroyed. The majority of Adilyotar's residents are ethnic Chechens.

The village's only school was damaged beyond repair and is set to be demolished. Acting head of Dagestan, Fyodor Shchukin, has pledged that a modular school for 362 students will be completed by September 1.

Regional authorities previously announced compensation measures, including one-time financial assistance of 15,675 rubles (approximately $200) per person, 78,735 rubles (approximately $1,000) for partial loss of essential property, and 156,750 rubles (approximately $2,000) for complete loss, payable after victims are officially recognised as affected by the emergency.

Officials have said that more than 16,000 flood victims received compensation totalling around 660 million rubles (approximately $8.5 million). Authorities also reported that other Russian regions had pledged to help restore livestock numbers by supplying 137 head of cattle to Dagestan.