Tens of thousands without power in Russia's Belgorod after Ukrainian attack

Feb 27 - About 50,000 people were left without power in the Russian city of Belgorod on Friday after Ukrainian missiles struck it overnight, the regional governor said.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said about half of those affected should be reconnected by the end of Friday following the latest in a series of attacks that have caused repeated blackouts.

Belgorod, which lies about 40 km (25 miles) from the border with Ukraine, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes in the four years since Russia invaded its neighbour.

"Serious damage has occurred with energy infrastructure," Gladkov wrote on Telegram. "As a result, there have been disruptions to supplies of power, water and heating."

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. Residents of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities have frequently lost heating and power in the coldest weeks of winter because of Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid.

UKRAINIAN CROSS-BORDER STRIKES

Along with the neighbouring Kursk region, parts of which were seized by Ukraine in a surprise attack in August 2024 and held for many months, Belgorod has borne the brunt of Ukrainian cross-border strikes since the start of the war.

Shelling, drone attacks and blackouts have made the war a daily reality that is impossible to ignore - in contrast with the rest of Russia, where opinion polls suggest many are trying to get on with their lives while tuning out news from the battlefield.

About 485 people in Belgorod and the surrounding region have been killed since the start of the war, including 35 already this year, according to local media and officials.

"There have been more frequent bangs at night and the glass in the window frames is rattling loudly. We've had heavy shelling for the whole of February," said a female pensioner in Belgorod, adding that she had been told to expect no hot water until the summer.

A 40-year-old Belgorod resident, who like the pensioner asked not to be named, said she had gone to the theatre this month for a performance that was halted three times because of missile alerts. She said the audience were told to keep their coats on because of the lack of heating.

"Sometimes we can't sleep at night, hiding when shells hit neighbouring houses," she said. "People generally take cover wherever they can. Everyone is looking for a safe place away from the windows." REUTERS