The Russian city of Belgorod has been hit by a large-scale power outage after a Ukrainian airstrike, DPA reported, citing local authorities and social media posts.
Power was cut off to thousands of households in Belgorod this evening. Local residents reported people trapped in elevators and apartment blocks plunged into darkness.
According to initial reports, the power outage was caused by a missile strike on a thermal power plant.
The governor of Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov posted a video message on "Telegram" in which he said there were "significant" power outages. He warns that the danger of air strikes is not over yet and urges residents to take shelter. Gladkov also reports that at least two people were injured in the airstrike, and hospitals in Belgorod are operating on emergency generators.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that 13 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over the Belgorod region and another one over the Kursk region over several hours on Sunday.
"On September 28, from 1:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed 14 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles: 13 unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted over the territory of the Belgorod region and one – over the territory of the Kursk region", the defense ministry said in a statement, quoted by TASS.
Ukraine has repeatedly launched strikes on the city of Belgorod, which is the administrative center of the region of the same name. The city has a population of more than 300,000. Kiev says the aim of the strikes is to destroy Russian military logistics used for attacks on Ukraine.