Blackouts Hit Arctic Russia’s Murmansk

Russia’s Arctic city of Murmansk has reported blackouts on Friday amid worsening weather conditions.

Murmansk, with a population of over 270,000, is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle and hosts some of Russia’s strategic naval and air fleet.

Local Telegram channel Murmansk Now shared photos and videos of the blackout, noting that non-functional traffic lights were causing massive traffic jams.

“Power outages are occurring throughout Murmansk and the surrounding area. Short-term and long-term outages have been observed throughout the city,” the channel wrote.

“Traffic lights have gone out, and intersections are in complete disarray. Trolleybuses in Leninsky have come to a complete standstill. Lights are flickering in buildings, and escalators are down at the Mall,” another update says.

Murmansk Mayor Ivan Lebedev confirmed the outage and said it was caused by ice forming on power lines.

“According to the North-West branch of Rosseti, the risk of power outages in our region remains elevated due to adverse weather conditions. Ice and frost are forming on power lines, which has already led to partial power outages in Murmansk and Severomorsk,” Lebedev wrote.

In another photo shared by Murmansk Now, power line towers were shown toppled in the snow, likely knocked down by strong winds.

The town of Severomorsk hosts the main base of Russia’s Northern Fleet, whereas the Murmansk region itself hosts one of the main bases for Russian aerospace forces, including strategic bombers used for major missile strikes against Ukraine.

Russian state media RIA Novosti reported on Friday that temperatures are expected to hit major Russian cities in the coming days, including -28°C (-18.4°F) in Moscow.

The cold spell has hit both Ukraine and Russia, with Kyiv facing a worsening crisis as Russian drone and missile strikes knock heating systems offline. The Kremlin has previously suggested the strikes are intended to pressure Kyiv into concessions.