Massive internet outage in Russia
Russia experienced a widespread outage on the evening of August 18, affecting the internet, mobile operators, and a number of online services. Initial reports suggest that the problem was caused by a power outage at one of Moscow's major telecommunications hubs. Several districts of the capital were also without power.
Russia has been hit by widespread internet and online service outages. According to Downdetector, users from various regions of the country, especially Moscow and St. Petersburg, have reported problems with their internet connections and online platforms.
The outages affected major telecom operators such as Rostelecom, Megafon and Beeline, as well as popular platforms such as Telegram, Steam and Discord. Some banks and other online services were also affected.
The Russian domain registrar Reg.ru told TASS that the widespread internet outage was caused by a power outage at a major communications hub. According to RBC sources, the problem was caused by an accident in the Gagarin district of Moscow. It is here that one of the important telecommunications hubs of Russia's internet infrastructure, the Moscow Intercity Telephone Exchange No. 9 (MMTS-9), is located.
As a result of the accident, some equipment at MMTS-9 was left without power, which simultaneously negatively affected the work of many providers and online services.
Along with the Internet outages, serious problems with the power supply were also observed in Moscow. According to local media reports, power was cut off in the Gagarin and Danilov districts, as well as in some parts of the Khamovniki and Zamoskvorechye areas.
The power outage also affected public transport. Trams and traffic lights stopped working in some areas, and there were temporary problems with the metro infrastructure. There was also information that people were evacuated from the Gagarinsky shopping center.
According to initial reports, the power outage may be related to a fire at an energy facility on Vavilov Street. Local sources reported that a sound similar to an explosion was heard at the facility. However, the exact cause of the incident has not yet been officially fully disclosed. Therefore, it is not correct to present assumptions about its origin as a confirmed fact.
In conclusion, the power outage in Moscow affected one of the most important parts of Russia's Internet infrastructure, causing simultaneous outages of many Internet services in different regions of the country.