The Kyiv Independent
Russian media: Blackouts reported in Moscow following energy facility fire
Martin Fornusek – January 4, 2024
A fire erupted in a substation in Russia’s capital on Jan. 4, causing electricity and heating outages in dozens of multi-story buildings amid freezing temperatures, Russian media reported.
The cause of the fire has not been reported. The incident took place only a few days after Russian attacks against Kyiv Oblast left 260,000 Ukrainian citizens temporarily without power.
The Russian Telegram news channel Mash reported that the fire erupted at a substation in northeastern Moscow at around 6 a.m. local time, causing outages in the municipal districts of Otradnoye, Bibirevo, as well as Northern and Southern Medvedkovo.
The temperature in the affected buildings had reportedly dropped to 10-15 degrees Celsius. According to Russian media, the night of Jan. 4 was the coldest in Moscow since the beginning of winter, with the temperatures dropping to minus 27.1 degrees.
At around 8:46, Mash reported that the fire had been extinguished and utility workers were working on site.
Most houses were switched to a backup circuit, the state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported at around 9:10 a.m., adding that some 40 buildings will be connected within the next two hours.