Russian investigators announced on Tuesday that they had arrested three people in connection with heat outages in southern Moscow that prompted regional officials to scramble to restore services and drew the attention of the Kremlin, Reuters reported.

The authorities attributed the damage to a failure at a thermal power plant belonging to a private munitions factory. The heads of the TPP and the factory were detained on suspicion of providing dangerous services, the investigation report says.

The deputy head of the local government was also detained on suspicion of certifying the boiler as suitable for winter, despite the fact that he allegedly knew about the defects that needed repair.

The situation is embarrassing for the authorities at a time when President Vladimir Putin is campaigning for re-election in March and voters are waiting for assurances that the state can maintain decent living standards and public services despite the war in Ukraine.

Putin’s victory is not in doubt, but supporters of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny say the campaign gives them an opportunity to connect with voters and highlight the country’s problems, which they blame on his 24-year rule.

The Kremlin said Putin discussed the situation Monday night with Moscow Region Governor Andriy Vorobyov and other officials, and that “titanic” efforts are being made to resolve the situation.