Moscow: Around 600,000 people in Russia’s Belgorod region were left without electricity, heating and water after a Ukrainian strike damaged key utility infrastructure, regional authorities said on Friday.
Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the attack hit energy facilities across several districts, causing widespread outages at a time when winter temperatures remain well below freezing. Large residential areas were plunged into darkness, with heating systems and water supply also disrupted.
Local officials said repair teams were deployed immediately and emergency crews were working around the clock to restore services. However, authorities warned that full repairs would take time due to the scale of the damage and the cold weather conditions.
Russian regional media reported that thousands of apartment buildings lost heating, while hundreds of thousands of residents were also affected by water supply disruptions. Temporary power solutions were being used in some areas to support hospitals and other essential services.
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has repeatedly come under fire since the start of the war, with energy and transport infrastructure often affected. Friday’s outage is one of the largest reported disruptions in the region in recent months.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the reported strike. The situation remains fluid, with authorities continuing to assess damage and provide assistance to affected residents.