Overview
- Five transmission towers collapsed near Murmansk on Jan. 23 during severe winter weather, cutting electricity to Murmansk and the closed naval town of Severomorsk and disrupting heat and water.
- Water supply and heating were largely restored over the weekend, but portions of both cities remained without power on Jan. 26 as repairs awaited new towers and crews contended with harsh conditions.
- Governor Andrei Chibis declared a regional state of emergency, enabling extra resources while authorities opened aid centers, distributed food and water, and made public transport free until power returns.
- Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal negligence case into the grid operator, citing limited service life for the towers and mandatory periodic inspections as lines of inquiry.
- State energy firm Rosseti reported two of the five damaged towers had been repaired by Monday, and Northern Fleet vessels in Severomorsk continued operating on autonomous power to reduce grid demand.