Crimea hit with partial power outages

Simferopol: Several regions of the Crimean peninsula experienced partial power outages for reasons "unknown" to the local pro-Moscow authorities.

Residents of Feodosiya and Dzhankoi district told AFP that there was no power in some districts and villages last evening.

In Simferopol, Crimea's main city, the central Karla Marksa Street was plunged into darkness as well as a central hotel. People were using flashlights and mobile phone screens to illuminate their way in a street underpass.

The prime minister of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, confirmed on Twitter that there were electricity problems: "Simferopol, Yalta, Kerch, Feodosiya are partially without power. Reasons are unknown," he wrote.

The Crimean peninsula gets its power and water supply from Ukraine.

Aksyonov wrote yesterday that the region was installing steam-gas plants to become autonomous from Ukraine for power generation, as Crimea's rebel leader urged Russians across Ukraine to rise up against Kiev's rule and welcome Kremlin forces.