Ukrainian shelling causes ‘serious damage’ in Russia’s Belgorod, governor says
February 6 (Reuters) – Nighttime shelling of Ukraine caused “serious damage” to the Russian city of Belgorod near the border, the regional governor said early on Friday.
In a solemn video posted on Telegram after midnight, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that city officials were holding an urgent meeting to draw up an action plan.
“Unfortunately, I cannot say good evening, my dear friends,” Gladkov said in the video recorded in almost darkness.
“The enemy bombed the civilian city of Belgorod. Everyone knows we have no military targets. There was serious damage. I went out to look around.”
He did not provide details of the damage. He said authorities did not set up temporary housing.
Separately, the governor of neighboring Russia’s Bryansk region said Ukraine had used HIMARS missiles and drones to hit energy facilities, causing power outages in some settlements.
Russia and Ukraine announced last week that they had stopped attacks on each other’s energy infrastructures, but they could not agree on the time frame of the moratorium. Strikes resumed earlier this week.
The reported attacks took place against the backdrop of US-brokered peace talks.
A post on the unofficial Russian Telegram channel Mash, which has sources in the security services, said the missiles hit the city, located about 40 km (25 miles) from the Ukrainian border, knocking out electricity in some areas.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports. No statement was made from Ukraine.
In his speech this morning, Gladkov said that efforts to restore electricity supply were continuing.
“As of today, we have not been able to fully restore the electricity supply in Belgorod,” he said.
Ukrainian forces have been regularly attacking Belgorod and nearby areas of the region since Russia invaded its smaller neighbor in February 2022.
Ukraine said Russia’s missile and drone attacks on the capital Kiev in January left nearly a million people without electricity.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Tom Hogue and Michael Perry)
