Authorities in Russia’s Irkutsk region in southeastern Siberia introduced a state of “high alert” due to electricity shortages, according to a government decree published Friday. The decree signed by Governor Igor Kobzev instructs local emergency services to develop additional plans for mitigating the consequences of widespread power cuts and check the preparedness of local emergency response teams. Local authorities in the Irkutsk region were also instructed to ensure the availability of additional fuel reserves and backup power sources. Earlier this week, authorities in the neighboring repub…