Mysterious flash over Russia sparks fears of North Korea nuclear explosion as shockwaves are felt for thousands of miles

A SPOOKY bright flash turned night into day over a huge area of Russia, prompting fears the US had launched a strike on North Korea.

The explosion of light accompanied by the “ground shaking” was also blamed on a alien visitation or a meteor exploding in the sky.

Russian officials and scientists immediately denied there had been a Russian missile test or any reported space rock crashing to earth.

But there has been speculation this week that North Korea was poised to test a ballistic missile or a nuke to mark leader Kim Jong-un’s birthday.

Nikki Hayley, US Ambassador to the United Nations, yesterday said Washington had received reports that Pyongyang may be in preparations for another weapons test.

Videos of last night’s skyward spectacle show how for a few moments the dark night sky – just after midnight in the Urals – was lit up, turning a vivid blue like a bright afternoon.

The phenomenon which bore a similarity to a nuclear flash was seen and felt over thousands of miles in Russia.

But it was especially evident in three regions Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, and Tatarstan, with some wondering if a nuke had gone off or that the US had attacked North Korea?

One witness Artyom Russkikh told The Siberian Times: “We saw this while driving – there was a vibration and the sound of explosion in the sky, awesome.

“What was it? A meteor, a rocket from space, UFO, North Korea?”

Local Firaya Zaripova said: “Probably it was the testing of some military weapon, if even the ground was shaking.’

But Russian authorities have denied any military tests.

Similar flashes have been reported three times in 12 years in Russia.

Yet experts were split on the cause of the flash.

Yuri Nefefyev, director of the Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory, claimed atmospheric electricity was behind the eerie night-to-day explosion of light.

He said: “There are a huge number of effects linked to atmospheric electricity, many of which are not properly studied because of how rarely they occur.”

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