Overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on an energy facility in Russia’s Belgorod region caused blackouts in the area, Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported on Oct. 15, citing Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) sources.
The source said the Russian military sites were connected to the attacked energy facility in the village of Krasnaya Yaruga, which sits just north of the border with Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry and Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed on Oct. 15 that the Russian air defense intercepted 27 loitering munitions over the region.
As winter approaches, Russia has escalated its assaults on Ukraine's vital infrastructure.
On Oct. 15, Russian forces struck energy infrastructure in Kherson, causing a partial blackout in the regional capital and disrupting water supplies, service, and the internet connection.
Ukraine is allegedly attempting to strike back.
The SBU source told Ukrainska Pravda that the blackout in the Belgorod region is a “reality that's already knocking at their doorstep."
Gladkov claimed on Oct. 15 that a Ukrainian artillery attack caused a blackout in the villages of Vyazovoe and Repyakhovka.
No casualties were reported in the attacks.
Both Russian settlements sit right on the border with Ukraine and in proximity to Krasnaya Yaruga.
Russia’s Belgorod region borders Ukraine’s Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts. Russian forces are using the region to launch missile strikes and shell Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Western partners leased Ukraine air defense systems for the cold months ahead, Yuri Ihnat, the Air Force's spokesperson, reported on Oct. 15.
"The fact that Ukraine can have these systems for use during the heating season is a significant and positive sign," he said.
The heating season in Ukraine lasts from mid-October till mid-April.
Francis Farrell
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