END OF DAYS Mystery as sky turns black in the middle of DAY in remote Russian towns with locals blaming secret weapons test, aliens or the DEVIL

REMOTE Russian towns were plunged into total darkness for several hours last week — sparking rumours of a secret Kremlin weapons test, UFOs or even the devil’s work.

Mystery surrounds the sudden appearance of the massive black cloud that turned day into night across an area bigger than the British Isles.

And there are claims the terrifying phenomenon could have been the caused by the dust from a meteorite strike or the test of an apocalyptic weapon.

Other explanations for mystified locals are a UFO, an unreported eclipse, the “work of the devil”, or smoke from unidentified wildfires.

Moscow’s defence and meteorological officials have failed to comment on the cloud — which hit three vast mainly Arctic districts in Yakutia region.

There were no reports of meteorites, eclipses or weapons tests – let alone sightings of alien spacecrafts.

A local resident in from Eveno-Bytantaisky said: “Messages are going around about about a light flash registered by the US satellites, followed by increase of radioactive level and unusual activity of the military.

“We are never going to be told is this was true or false.”

Some claimed it could be a “new type of weapon” being tested by the Russian military.

Another source said: “This can only be explained by a UFO.”