This is the extraordinary moment a volcano in Russia erupts shooting luminous hot lava from the surface as a lightning bolt strikes the centre of the mountain.

Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured these rare images as volcanic ash escaped from the Ebeko volcano in eastern Russia whilst the lightning strikes slash through the cloud.

Martin, from Munich, Germany was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted.

The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual."

This is the extraordinary moment a volcano in Russia erupts shooting luminous hot lava from the surface as a lightning bolt strikes the centre of the mountain.

Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured these rare images as volcanic ash escaped from the Ebeko volcano in eastern Russia whilst the lightning strikes slash through the cloud.

Martin, from Munich, Germany was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted.

The volcano expert said: "The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual."