An overnight shelling by Ukraine on Russia’s Belgorod region severely damaged local energy infrastructure, cutting electricity supply to tens of thousands of residents. According to the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, around 34,000 households were initially affected by the outage.
Engineering teams and emergency services responded quickly to restore partial power, allowing most customers to be reconnected by the next morning. However, approximately 5,400 users across 24 municipalities remained without electricity by midday, the official stated on the Telegram messaging app.
Critical networks increasingly targeted
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine directly, has been subjected to regular drone strikes and artillery shelling since the onset of Russia’s military invasion in 2022. Energy facilities, in particular, have become strategic targets in cross-border operations.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the strike. This lack of response is common from Kyiv, as attacks on Russian territory are typically aimed at infrastructure deemed vital to military logistics. Russia, in turn, continues to strike Ukrainian facilities.
Impact on logistics and population
The damage to these networks increases pressure on Russian regional authorities, who are facing frequent disruptions to essential public services. Maintaining electricity grid stability has become a central issue for administrations in border areas.
Vyacheslav Gladkov noted that repair crews remain deployed to restore power in the areas still affected. He did not provide a precise timeline for full service restoration or mention any secondary damage caused by the attack.
