Residents of a large Russian city have taken to the streets to protest against prolonged electricity cuts and repeated water supply interruptions. 

This protest, which took place in the city of Krasnodar, marks a rare mass gathering of people against the government, during a time in which anti-authority protests are highly restricted and often brutally policed.

Power grid failures in Krasnodar have caused prolonged outages lasting several days during a period of record-high temperatures, reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. Videos on social media show frustrated residents gathering near residential buildings, demanding the restoration of power. In the videos, locals can be heard shouting “Give us light.” 

Evgeny Naumov, the city's mayor, addressed the crisis on his Telegram channel, reassuring residents that efforts to repair the power grid were in progress and that drinking water was being distributed. He urged the public to remain calm and understand the complexities of the situation given the extreme heat. Naumov was also keen to emphasise the continuous work to restore normal operations and acknowledged the residents' hardships during this period of severe weather.

Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev attributed the recent power failures to a combination of factors: unusual heat waves, insufficient capacity during peak demand and technical difficulties at the Rostov nuclear power plant (NPP). Earlier in the week, one of the plant's units experienced a temporary shutdown due to a technical glitch, which exacerbated the city's power supply issues.

"There has been abnormal heat in the Krasnodar region for a week now. The load on the energy system is colossal. I know and understand all the indignation of residents due to power outages," Kondratyev wrote on Telegram.