Blackouts hit Russia’s Belgorod as Ukrainian drone attacks surge

Residents of Russia’s Belgorod region say power outages, air raid sirens and drone gunfire from Ukraine have become increasingly common as Kiev retaliates for sustained bombardment of its cities with its own cross-border strikes.

“It’s too loud and too scary,” says Belgorod resident Nina, who asked us to change her name.

“I was returning from the clinic when a siren sounded. As usual, I received warnings from Telegram about a drone attack. Then automatic gunfire rang out, I ran into a nearby courtyard and tried to hide under an arch,” he recalls.

“The next day it all happened again: anti-aircraft fire, automatic gunfire, explosions.”

The number of drone attacks in Ukraine’s Belgorod region has nearly quadrupled since the beginning of 2025, according to a BBC News Russian analysis based on data from local authorities.

More than 4,000 Ukrainian UAVs were recorded in the Belgorod region in September; In January 2025, this number was approximately 1,100. According to the governor, more than 260 UAVs attacked the region in one of the largest attacks last month. There has also been an increase in missile attacks since the summer.

Ukraine continues to suffer ever-greater casualties from Russia’s daily missile and drone strikes, which routinely kill civilians and leave cities across the country without power and heat.

At least seven people, including two children, have been killed in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities through Wednesday, and there are fears that the coming winter could be the harshest yet for Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials say the recent escalation of attacks on Belgorod, some of which have caused major power outages, is a direct result of Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

“Maybe they should stop getting too comfortable in Belgorod?” Zelensky said earlier this month. “They must understand: If they want to leave us powerless, we will do the same.”

The Belgorod region is an important logistics corridor and staging center for Russian forces near the Ukrainian border. It is also the regular launching point for artillery and short-range drone strikes.

Although small towns in the region experienced local power outages early in the war, the city of Belgorod was largely unaffected by power outages until this fall.

Local student Ekaterina (not her real name) told the BBC that she was at home in the city on the evening of September 28 when notifications started appearing on her phone: “Missile alert! Take shelter!”

Loud sirens followed and the lights in his apartment began to flicker.

“We ran into the corridor because the explosions started immediately. It was very loud. The lights flashed on and off,” Ekaterina recalls.

Local Telegram channels reported that the missiles hit Belgorod’s main heat and power plant and a substation.

While electricity was restored to the city center relatively quickly, some of the suburbs remained without electricity until the morning. Approximately 77,000 people across the region, or 5% of the population, were still without electricity the next day.

Another Belgorod resident, Natalya (not her real name), tells the BBC: “When you’re in the central office, you don’t notice there’s a power outage. But when you go home, it’s like you’ve entered a completely different world.”

“It’s completely dark outside. There’s no electricity in the apartment blocks, and the shops are dark. It’s hard to tell where your stop is when you’re walking through the darkness, you can’t see anything.”

Less than a week later there was another major power outage.

Authorities admitted they did not have the capacity to provide backup generators to everyone and urged residents to purchase their own generators.

“So, given the fuel crisis, what do we feed them?” Elderly resident Maria, who wants to change her name, tells the BBC:

More than half of Russia’s regions, including Belgorod, have been affected by gasoline and diesel shortages due to increasing Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

“Generator prices have also increased rapidly,” says Maria.

Ukraine has increased production of “Dart” drones, lightweight and inexpensive models that can carry a 4 kg (9 lb) warhead, and many Belgorod residents say this is why attacks are becoming more frequent. Drones are effective in single and mass launches that could potentially overload air defense systems.

But recent attacks on energy infrastructure in Belgorod that caused power outages are more likely to involve heavier weapons. Reports say long-range Himars rockets or Morok drones with larger warheads may have been used.

And although the war still seems far away for many in Russia, residents of the Belgorod region now feel its impact every day, just like Ukrainians across the border.

“By September the war seemed to be on the back burner again. But now we are getting constant reminders through power outages, fuel shortages and a general sense of anxiety,” says Yakov, who declined to give his real name.

“I personally have a strong feeling that Russia is hurtling towards the abyss by continuing the war.”

Additional reporting by Ilya Abishev