One local Telegram news channel said the blackout was followed by widespread failures in internet service. Users across Russia reported that websites and online services were inaccessible, with most complaints coming from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Major providers including Rostelecom, MegaFon, Beeline, and Lovit were among those affected.
Downdetector received more than 1,000 reports of outages in the past hour.
Footage and local reports indicate the outage followed a fire at a site on Vavilova Street that appears to be Combined Heat and Power Plant No. 20 (CHP-20). The Telegram channel 112, which is linked to Russian security services, said there was an explosion at the site.
Power was also out at several subway stations and shopping malls.
A source quoted by propaganda outlet RBC said the accident affected the Moscow long-distance telephone exchange No. 9 (MMTS-9), which carries a significant portion of Russia’s internet traffic.
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Aug. 18 claimed its air
defenses had shot down more than 1,600 Ukrainian drones in a single day.