Power blackout hits Russian Kaliningrad region

Electricity supply was disrupted throughout Russia’s most westerly Kaliningrad region at about 9 pm local time (10 pm Moscow time). The regional government monitors the situation, region’s Governor Nikolai Tsukanov said. According to him, the blackout hit the eastern part of the region, but where exactly is not yet clear. At the same time the Kaliningrad thermal plant 2 was blacked out after its emergency systems had come into action. “At the present time a big part of the eastern region has been switched to reserve power supplies, and also reserve power supplies are used at social facilities, in particular at hospitals,” the governor said. A crisis centre handling the emergency has been set up, with the governor at the head. Nikolai Tsukanov said electricity supply would be restored to Kaliningrad and resort cities of Zenogorsk and Svetlogorsk within an hour’s time. “By that time I hope we will know the reason behind the blackout,” he said.