Large-scale Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Sunday and early Monday disrupted power, heating and water supplies in Russia’s southwestern Belgorod region, authorities said Monday.
The Belgorod region has endured recurring electricity, water and heating outages since January, amid continued cross-border attacks.
“Yesterday and last night were another significant trial for the entire Belgorod region,” Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Monday, describing “massive” drone and missile strikes on the city of Belgorod, as well as “widespread” drone strikes across other towns and cities.
He said the Sunday and Monday attacks damaged “critical energy infrastructure,” leading energy and heating crews to work overnight to restore heat and power.
Around midnight local time on Monday, Gladkov wrote that the city of Belgorod and the surrounding area were experiencing disruptions to electricity, water and heating supplies.
Gladkov warned earlier this month that the city of Belgorod’s roughly 320,000 residents would be without hot water until the end of the heating season in April, following damage to a thermal plant from a Ukrainian missile strike.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said 65 of the 152 Ukrainian drones that were repelled across Russia overnight had been downed over the Belgorod region. It said another 80 Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod region throughout Sunday.
Gladkov wrote that two civilian drivers had died from Ukrainian drone strikes on their vehicles on Sunday.
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