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Russian Emergency Ministry Issues Safety Instructions for Pokemon Hunters

Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry has developed safety instructions for the players of the “PokemonGo” game, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Thursday.

Master classes will also be conducted on catching Pokemon. The ministry has said that the measures are necessary because of the risks faced by players.

“On the one hand, this is an interesting and modern game, but on the other hand, hundreds of thousands of people are at risk as they are disconnected from reality and not paying attention to traffic lights and pedestrian crossings," ministry head Vladimir Puchkov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

Puchkov also said that problems arise when “thousands of people gather in one place.”

"Pokemon Go" is a free mobile game that brings smartphone users to the streets to collect monsters. The game gained huge popularity after its launch in Australia, the United States and New Zealand on July 6.

The release of the game in Russia has been postponed due to technical problems but thousands of Russian fans have downloaded the app through accounts registered abroad.

“Pokemon Go” has already faced criticism in Russia, with some officials demanding more restrictions on the game.

Earlier this week, Russian authorities announced the launch of their own version of “Pokemon Go,” in which the players will be able to catch Russian historical figures such as Alexander Pushkin and Yury Gagarin.

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