A massive power outage plunged several cities across Sakhalin Island into darkness early Monday morning, after a lightning cable broke and triggered a chain of automatic shutdowns.
Residents across Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Dalnee, Novo-Aleksandrovsk, and Novotroitsk reported sudden power cuts, with outages also affecting Korsakov, Dolinsk, Kholmsk, Uglegorsk, Makarov, and Poronaysk. Eyewitnesses said they saw a “flash” near a local thermal power plant shortly before the blackout, and video footage of the phenomenon quickly spread online.
According to Sakhalinenergo, the outage occurred due to an automatic protection system malfunction around 7:40 a.m. local time (11:40 p.m. Moscow time). Governor Valery Limarenko later clarified that the emergency was caused by a lightning cable snapping along a transmission line connecting the key substations Centralnaya and Yuzhno-Sakhalinskaya.
“Specialists confirmed that all power generation facilities are functioning normally. Restoration of electricity across the island has already begun,” said Governor Limarenko.
The fallen lightning cable reportedly hit the main power lines, causing automatic safety systems to shut down the grid. Repair crews are now working to restore full functionality.
Residents Left Without Water and Heating
The blackout left much of southern and central Sakhalin without both electricity and water. Mayor Svetlana Shvets of the Aniva District said that water supplies were being maintained using generators, though pressure remained weak and service interruptions occurred.
The disruption also led to heating shutdowns, Sakh.online reported. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Rosvodokanal launched backup systems to restore service.
“The global outage has affected the water supply. Some facilities are already running again, while others are still being reconnected. Priority is being given to socially significant facilities such as hospitals and emergency services,” stated Rosvodokanal.
The island’s main airport in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk switched to diesel generator power and continues to handle passengers and flights as scheduled.
In August, southern Russian regions including Rostov experienced similar power disruptions following reported Ukrainian drone attacks. Explosions were heard over Millerovo, Belaya Kalitva, and Tatsinskaya. According to Donenergo, a technical failure in the local network caused temporary outages, though no link to air defense operations was confirmed.
