Russian forces triggered a blackout in Belgorod on the evening of December 6, 2025, when a Russian aircraft accidentally dropped a guided aerial bomb on a local power substation.

The Incident

A powerful blast hit the city’s eastern district that evening, plunging the center into a full blackout. Authorities did not issue an alert, and there was no indication of a missile or drone threat.

It later emerged that the explosion was caused by a guided bomb released from a Russian aircraft as it flew toward the Ukrainian border. Russian channels described the blast as likely another “unplanned release” of a guided bomb.

Electricity was restored about an hour later, though crews were able to carry out only partial repairs to the damaged substation.

Pattern of Incidents

Similar incidents have become routine, with dozens of munitions accidentally landing in fields and suburbs around Belgorod over the past year. Ukrainian Defense Intelligence reported that Russian bombers dropped eight bombs on the Belgorod region over just 11 days in November 2025.

Recent Belgorod Blackouts

The December 6 incident was the latest in a series of power outages affecting the border city:

November 8: Over 20,000 customers lost power. Local authorities claimed the outage was caused by a Ukrainian missile strike on a substation—by that time, Belgorod had already experienced its fourth major outage.

October 5: Residents reported a missile strike on the Luch substation, leaving nearly 40,000 people without power.

October 11: Another strike damaged the Luch thermal power plant, cutting electricity to most districts.

October 13: Preliminary reports indicated that turbines at the Belgorod thermal power plant were destroyed, rendering the plant fully inoperative.