A massive blaze has broken out at the Lebedev Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering in Moscow, with videos showing the building ablaze and loud bangs being heard
A massive fire has erupted at a Moscow building, just six miles from the Kremlin.
The Lebedev Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering, reportedly linked to Russia’s defence sector, was engulfed in flames, with loud explosions likely caused by exploding helium cylinders.
Footage from the scene shows large flames billowing from the building, sending thick black smoke into the sky near a busy dual carriageway.
TASS, the Russian state-owned news agency, reported that the building’s roof has since collapsed. In another video shared online, loud bangs can be heard as the fire engulfs a large area. The loud bangs are reportedly potential gas cylinder explosions.
No casualties have been reported so far, and firefighters are on the scene battling the blaze, according to local reports.
The Lebedev Institute campus spans 1,500 square metres and houses university researchers working on strategically important computer systems for Russia, including national security, digital telecommunications, and positioning and navigational systems.
Established in 1948 during the communist era, the institute played a crucial role in developing early Soviet computing systems, including the MESM (Small Electronic Calculating Machine) and BESM (Large Electronic Calculating Machine) series of computers, among the first electronic computers in the Soviet Union, reports the Mirror.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.