The 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, News Max TV reported

Belgorod, about 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 neighbor.

“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.

Along with the neighboring 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.

MNA