Power outages hit Russia’s Belgorod as Ukrainian drone attacks increase

Residents of Russia’s Belgorod region say power outages, air-warning sirens and the sound of gunfire targeting Ukrainian drones are becoming more common, as kyiv responds to repeated shelling of its towns with its own cross-border strikes.

“It’s so loud and so terrifying,” says Nina, a Belgorod resident who asked us to change our name.

“I was returning from the clinic when a siren went off. As usual, I received Telegram alerts about a drone attack. Then bursts of automatic weapons went off, I ran into a nearby courtyard and tried to hide under an arch,” she recalls.

“The next day, everything happened again: air defense fire, automatic weapons fire, explosions.”

The number of Ukrainian drone attacks on the Belgorod region has almost quadrupled since the start of 2025, according to BBC News’ Russian analysis based on data from local authorities.

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

Ukraine continues to suffer far greater losses due to near-daily Russian missile and drone strikes, which regularly kill civilians and deprive cities across the country of electricity and heat.

At least seven people were killed, including two children, in Russian attacks on Ukrainian towns overnight on Wednesday, and there are fears the coming winter could be Ukraine’s harshest ever.

Ukrainian authorities say the recent wave of attacks on Belgorod, some of which caused massive power outages, is a direct result of the latest Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

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

The Belgorod region is a key logistics corridor and hub for Russian forces near the border with Ukraine. It is also a regular point of origin for short-range artillery and drone strikes.

Although there were local power outages in small towns in the region early in the war, the town 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 cover!”

The sound of wailing sirens followed and the lights in his apartment began to flicker.

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

Missiles hit the main thermal and electrical power plant in Belgorod as well as a substation, local Telegram channels reported.

And while the city center regained power fairly quickly, some suburbs remained without power until the morning. Across the region, about 77,000 people, or 5 percent of the population, still had no electricity the next day.

“When you’re in the center’s office, you won’t necessarily notice that there’s a power outage. But when you go home, it’s like entering a whole other world,” Natalya (pseudonym), another Belgorod resident, told the BBC.

“Outside it’s total darkness. The apartment buildings are without electricity, the shops are also dark. When you’re driving in the dark, it’s hard to tell where your stop is – you can’t see anything.”

Another major power outage occurred less than a week later.

Authorities admit they do not have the capacity to provide everyone with backup generators and have called on residents to buy their own.

“But what are we supposed to fuel them with, given the fuel crisis?” Maria, an elderly resident who also asked to change her name, told the BBC.

More than half of Russian regions, including Belgorod, have been hit by gasoline and diesel shortages, due to increased Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

“And the prices of generators have also gone up,” says Maria.

Ukraine has increased production of its “Darts” drone – cheap, lightweight models that can carry a 4 kg (9 pound) warhead – and many Belgorod residents say this is why the strikes have become more frequent. Drones are effective for both single and massive launches that can potentially overload air defense systems.

But the recent strikes on energy infrastructure that caused the power outages in Belgorod likely involved heavier weapons. Reports indicate that long-range Himars rockets or Morok drones with larger warheads could have been used.

And while for many Russians the war still seems far away, residents of the Belgorod region now feel its consequences daily, as do Ukrainians across the border.

“Until September, the war seemed to have taken a back seat again. But now we receive constant reminders – through power cuts, fuel shortages and a general feeling of anxiety,” says Yakov, who declined to give his real name.

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

Additional reporting by Ilya Abishev