Moscow in the Dark: Power Outage Hits Parts of the City
Blackouts in Gagarinsky District and Khamovniki, with an incident at a power substation and telecommunications hub disrupting banks, operators, and other services.
Blackouts in Gagarinsky District and Khamovniki, with an incident at a power substation and telecommunications hub disrupting banks, operators, and other services.
On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, parts of Moscow were left without electricity, and users across Russia widely reported internet service outages. According to reports, the Gagarinsky District and Khamovniki lost power, while numerous online services, including banks, operators, stores, and streaming platforms, also experienced disruptions.
According to preliminary information reported by RVvoenkor, the cause was an incident at a power substation on Vavilova Street. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel ZaTelekom claims the outage was due to a power cut at the MMTS-9 (M9) telecommunications hub on Butlerova Street 7, in southwestern Moscow. The SecurityLab project also reported on the outage.
At the MMTS-9 data center, an emergency power shutdown occurred, affecting part of the Runet network infrastructure, reports Ateobreaking. The company Reg.ru confirmed power supply disruptions at a major communications hub, which may have caused users difficulty in accessing numerous resources.
Power outages were also reported near metro stations, where escalators were partially non-functional. Electricity also went out in the shopping centers Yerevan Plaza and Gagarinsky. At the Mossovet Theatre on Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, about 10 people were trapped in an elevator and could not get out without assistance, reports NOELREPORTS UA.
Sources do not agree on the exact cause of the outage. While ZaTelekom cites a power cut at the MMTS-9 hub, RVvoenkor mentions an incident at a power substation on Vavilova Street as a preliminary cause. No official confirmation of the cause has been published so far.
