The ministry said that the epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Kabansky District of the Republic of Buryatia. The tremor was recorded at 5:45 a.m. local time (21:45 on Wednesday GMT).
There are no reports about any damages or victims caused by the earthquake.
The Republic of Buryatia is located in a seismologically active area near the Baikal Rift Zone that separates the Eurasian tectonic plate and the Amur plate, and often faces powerful earthquakes.
According to the Richter magnitude scale, 5.0-5.9 earthquakes are considered as moderate, with no substantial damage caused to buildings and people.