Deadly Storm Batters Smolensk Region, Leaving Thousands Without Power
A child and an elderly woman were killed by falling trees in the regional capital as winds reached gusts of up to 20 meters per second.
A powerful storm swept through western Russia’s Smolensk region on Thursday evening, causing widespread destruction and leaving thousands without electricity. Strong winds and heavy rain battered the capital city of Smolensk, bringing down numerous trees. Tragically, two people lost their lives due to the storm – one child and an elderly woman.
The storm’s winds reached gusts of up to 20 meters per second (45 miles per hour) in the regional capital. Initially, the regional government reported that 15,000 energy customers were left without power, but this number more than doubled to 32,500 by Friday. The severe weather disrupted eight central and western districts surrounding Smolensk, affecting more than half of the region’s 857,000 residents.
While a state of emergency has not been declared, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry warned that heavy rain and wind could continue into Friday evening. Authorities advised residents to remain indoors when possible and to exercise caution when driving due to low visibility. The Moscow Times, an independent Russian news outlet, criticized the Russian government for labeling them as an undesirable organization, a move they say is aimed at silencing independent journalism.
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Written by urgent.news from The Moscow Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
