Thin layer of ash from the active Kizimen volcano has on Sunday covered the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky where 60 percent of the Kamchatka Peninsula residents live, a representative for the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

"A taint of grey ash typical of Kizimen can be seen on the snow, on the cars and on all of the surfaces in the city," the spokesman said.

He said the layer is tiny - about 0.5 millimeters and added that the current situation does not pose a threat to the health of the local residents.

However, the ash could affect the operations of aircraft.

The Kizimen volcano is located 265 kilometers away from Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky. Kizimen's last eruption occurred in the end of 1920-s, but it the volcano started to exhibit activity the last June and a new eruption began a month ago.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, January 2 (RIA Novosti)