Blackout hits Belgorod, Russia as Ukrainian drone attacks escalate

Residents of Russia’s Belgorod region say blackouts, air-raid sirens and the sound of gunfire aimed at incoming Ukrainian drones are becoming increasingly common, as Kiev retaliates for repeated bombings of its cities with its own cross-border strikes.

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

“I was coming back from the clinic when the siren went off. As usual, I got a telegram alert about a drone attack. Then there was automatic fire, I ran to a nearby courtyard and tried to hide under an arch,” she recalls.

“The next day it all happened again – air defense fire, automatic artillery fire, explosions.”

According to a Russian analysis by BBC News based on data from local authorities, the number of Ukrainian drone attacks on the Belgorod region has almost quadrupled since the beginning of 2025.

In September, more than 4,000 Ukrainian drones were reported in the Belgorod region, compared to about 1,100 in January 2025. In one of the biggest attacks last month, the region was attacked by more than 260 drones, according to the governor. Missile attacks have also increased since the summer.

Ukraine is suffering heavy casualties from Russia’s near-daily missile and drone attacks, which routinely kill civilians and leave cities across the country without electricity and heat.

At least seven people, including two children, were killed in Russian attacks on Ukrainian towns on Wednesday night and fears that the coming winter will be the harshest yet for Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials say the recent wave of attacks on Belgorod, some of which have led to massive blackouts, are a direct result of Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

“Maybe they should stop being so comfortable in Belgorod?” Zelensky said earlier this month. “They must understand: if they want to leave us without power, we will do the same”.

The Belgorod region is a key logistics corridor and staging hub for Russian forces near the border with Ukraine. It is also a regular site for artillery and low-range drone strikes.

Although local power outages occurred in smaller towns in the region before the war, the city of Belgorod was not affected by large-scale power cuts 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 her phone started receiving notifications: “Missile alert! Take shelter!”

A siren followed and the lights in her flat flickered.

“We ran to the corridor, because the explosions started almost immediately. They were very loud. The lights flashed and went out,” recalls Ekaterina.

The missiles hit the main Belgorod heat and power plant and substation, the local Telegram channel said.

And while power returned relatively quickly to the city center, some in the suburbs remained without power until the morning. Across the region, about 77,000 people, or 5% of the population, were still without electricity the next day.

“When you’re in the middle of the office, you don’t notice that there’s a blackout. But when you go home, it’s like entering a different world,” another Belgorod resident Natalya (not her real name) tells the BBC.

“Complete darkness outside. Apartment blocks are without electricity, shops are also dark. As you travel through the darkness, it’s hard to tell where your stop is – you can’t see anything”.

Another major blackout followed less than a week later.

Officials have admitted they don’t have the capacity to provide everyone with back-up generators and have urged residents to buy their own.

“But what are we going to fuel them with because of the fuel crisis?” Maria, an elderly resident who asked for her name to be changed, tells the BBC.

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

“And generator prices have also gone up,” Maria says.

Ukraine has ramped up production of its “Darts” drones – lighter and cheaper models that can carry a 4kg (9lb) warhead – and many Belgorod residents say this is making the strikes more frequent. Drones are effective for both single and mass launches that can potentially overload air defense systems.

But recent attacks on energy infrastructure make blackouts in Belgorod more likely to involve heavy weapons. Reports say that long-range Himmers rockets or Morok drones with large warheads may have been used.

And while the war still feels distant to many in Russia, residents of the Belgorod region now feel its effects every day, as do Ukrainians across the border.

“By September, the war seemed to fade into the background again. But now we are getting constant reminders – 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, by continuing the war, Russia is running towards the abyss”.

Additional reporting by Ilya Abishev