Belgorod strike triggers widespread outages

BELGOROD, Russia, Feb. 27, 2026 — Ukrainian missiles struck the Russian border city of Belgorod overnight, damaging energy installations and disrupting power, water and heating supplies, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Local reports cited by The Kyiv Independent said the attack hit a thermal power station in Belgorod and left parts of the city without electricity, though the outlet noted it could not independently verify the claims.

Border region under pressure

Belgorod sits roughly 34–40 kilometers from the Ukraine border, a proximity highlighted by The Kyiv Independent and Reuters as the region absorbs frequent cross-border strikes.

Al Jazeera’s daily roundup said city officials reported regular shelling of Belgorod’s power facilities and temporary outages for thousands of customers in the city, underscoring the persistent risk to local infrastructure during the conflict.

Ukraine has not publicly commented on the latest strike, Reuters reported, while Kyiv continues to describe Russian attacks on Ukraine’s grid as a central challenge of the winter energy campaign.

Infrastructure and response

Gladkov said the missile attack caused “serious damage” to energy infrastructure, leading to disruptions in power, water and heating supplies, a statement repeated in Reuters coverage and echoed by Al Jazeera.

Officials said repair crews were working to restore service on Friday, with partial reconnections expected as damage assessments continue, Reuters reported.

Wider energy war context

Ukraine has increasingly targeted energy and logistics assets inside Russia as part of its effort to weaken Moscow’s war-making capacity, while Russian strikes have repeatedly knocked out power across Ukrainian cities, according to reporting by The Kyiv Independent and Reuters.

For residents in Belgorod, the latest outages reinforce how the border region has become a front-line test of infrastructure resilience, with short-term restoration efforts now a routine part of daily life, as described in Investing.com and The Star summaries of the situation.

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