A volcano erupting in Russia's Far East is sending plumes of gas and ash high into the sky and creating a lava lake.

Plosky Tolbachnik volcano erupts in Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. Plosky Tolbachnik volcano erupts in Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. (Alexander Petrov/Associated Press)

The Plosky Tolbachik volcano is located in Kamchatka peninsula, hundreds of kilometres from the nearest residential areas.

Gennady Karpov, a volcano expert at Russia's Academy of Sciences in the Far East, said Friday: "There were no lava lakes at Kamchatka volcanos before now. We have never seen this before."

Plosky Tolbachik has emitted jets of hot lava up to 200 metres high.

Its last eruption had occurred in November after the volcano was dormant for almost 40 years.

Russian officials said the current eruptions are not likely to end any time soon. However, the volcano is not forcing any changes in the flight patterns of airlines that pass over that area of Russia, said Karpov and the European air traffic agency Eurocontrol in Belgium.

Kamchatka russsia