The ash cloud extended 250 kilometers to the east and engulfed several villages in gray volcanic dust, according to authorities.
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Shiveluch, one of the most active volcanoes on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, erupted Thursday evening, sending clouds of ash up to 15 kilometers high into the sky and covering large areas with dust.
The ash cloud extended 250 kilometers to the east and engulfed several villages in gray volcanic dust, according to authorities.
The Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences declared the highest level of danger for aviation, Russian news agencies reported.
Local authorities advised residents to stay indoors and temporarily closed schools in several affected communities.
A road between the towns of Klyuchi and Ust-Kamchatsk was also closed overnight.
The Shiveluch consists of two parts: the Old Shiveluch, with a height of 3,283 meters, and the Young Shiveluch, smaller and very active.
The Kamchatka Peninsula, which extends into the Pacific Ocean about 6,600 kilometers east of Moscow, is one of the most concentrated areas of geothermal activity in the world, with around 30 active volcanoes.
