(MENAFN) Residents of Belgorod region are increasingly experiencing blackouts, air-raid sirens, and gunfire as Ukrainian drone strikes target the area in retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Nina, a local resident, described the chaos: “It’s so loud and so terrifying…air defence fire, automatic gunfire, explosions.” She recounted fleeing into a courtyard during one of the recent attacks, which have become a near-daily occurrence.

According to a news outlet Russian analysis, the number of Ukrainian drone attacks on Belgorod has quadrupled since January 2025, with over 4,000 drones recorded in September, compared to around 1,100 in January. One of the largest strikes last month involved more than 260 drones. Missile attacks have also increased since the summer.

Ukraine continues to suffer heavy damage from Russian missile and drone strikes, which have killed civilians and left many cities without power or heating. Overnight into Wednesday, Russian attacks killed at least seven people, including two children, raising fears of a harsh upcoming winter for Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities have justified the Belgorod strikes as retaliation for Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked, “If they want to leave us without power, then we will do the same.”

Belgorod is a strategic logistics corridor and staging ground for Russian forces near the Ukrainian border, frequently serving as a launch point for artillery and drone strikes. While smaller towns in the region experienced power outages earlier in the war, Belgorod city itself had largely avoided blackouts until this autumn.

MENAFN23102025000045017640ID1110238537