St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport and the surrounding areas were hit by a temporary power outage after residents reported hearing a loud sound and a bright flash, according to local Telegram channels.
The press service of Pulkovo Airport told Russia's state-run news agency, Interfax, that a temporary power outage occurred in the airport's domestic flights departure hall on Sunday evening. Electricity was also reportedly cut off in the nearby Shushary district. The airport is 23 kilometers (14 miles) south of Saint Petersburg's city center.
Multiple explosions have been reported in Russia since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with attacks more recently targeting the capital, Moscow. Explosions have rarely been reported in St. Petersburg, but in April, pro-Kremlin blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion at a cafe in the city.
An hour before the power outage, Telegram channels reported that locals had noticed mysterious disturbances.
"According to locals, the power outage happened about half an hour ago, and before that, they saw a flash in the sky and heard [an explosion]," the Ostorozhno, Novosti Telegram channel reported on Sunday.
There is reportedly also no water supply in the area.
"The entire area, all the buildings are without power, the elevators are standing still, there is no light, there is no water supply either," residents told Telegram channel Mash.
Pulkovo Airport said the power supply was restored in the departure hall "within one minute" and that the airport is operating as normal. Its press service said the outage was caused by a power failure in St. Petersburg.
Videos posted by Telegram channels showed the city shrouded in darkness.
It isn't clear what caused the flash of light and the explosion. Officials have yet to comment on the situation.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's foreign ministry via email for comment.
Meanwhile, flights in Moscow were either suspended or delayed at airports on Sunday evening. Authorities didn't immediately provide a reason.
The British Ministry of Defence (MOD) said on September 12 that Russia was repositioning its air defenses around Moscow as the capital faces a growing number of drone attacks.
Russia has "recalibrated the posture of its short and medium-range air defenses around Moscow in an effort to more effectively defend against the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks the city now experiences most days," the MOD said in an intelligence update.
Ukraine typically distances itself from claiming responsibility for attacks on Russia soil, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said that attacks on Russian territory are an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process."
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
