Power and Heating Cut in Major Russian Cities After Ukrainian Strikes
Essential power and heating supplies were severed for tens of thousands of residents in two major Russian cities following a series of nighttime Ukrainian strikes over the weekend. The attacks on urban centres near the Ukrainian border represent a significant escalation in the targeting of civilian infrastructure.
Voronezh and Belgorod Left in the Dark and Cold
In the city of Voronezh, home to just over 1 million people, a drone assault triggered widespread blackouts and cut heating to parts of the city. Regional Governor Alexander Gusev confirmed the incident, stating that several drones were electronically jammed during the night. This action, however, sparked a fire at a local utility facility, which was later extinguished. Reports from Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels indicated the strike was aimed at a local thermal power plant.
Further west, the city of Belgorod also suffered a severe blow. A missile strike late on Saturday caused what local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described as "serious damage" to the city's power and heating systems. The attack left approximately 20,000 households without these essential services. Belgorod, which had a population of around 340,000 people according to the 2021 census, serves as the administrative centre for its region.
Wider Context of the Energy War
Russia's defence ministry claimed on Sunday that its forces had destroyed or intercepted 44 Ukrainian drones that flew over the southwestern regions of Bryansk and Rostov. Notably, the ministry's statement did not mention the incidents in either Voronezh or Belgorod provinces, nor did it specify the total number of drones launched by Ukraine.
This exchange forms part of a broader pattern of almost daily assaults on each other's energy targets. As diplomatic efforts led by the United States have failed to halt the nearly four-year war, the battlefield tactics have intensified. Ukraine's strategy of long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aims to cripple Moscow's oil export revenue, a vital source of funding for its war effort. Conversely, Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian power grid are seen by officials in Kyiv as a deliberate attempt to "weaponize winter" by denying civilians access to heat, light, and running water.
