Power stations explode in Russia’s Belgorod region ‘after strikes by Ukrainian drones’ 

Two key power stations in Russia have been destroyed in a suspected Ukrainian drone strike behind enemy lines.

Stunning images captured at night show how the bombing of the power plants had created a massive inferno that spiraled high into the night sky.

The destruction of the sites in Igumenka and Dragunskoe – a pair of villages a few kilometers from the city of Belgorod – left thousands without power in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders eastern Ukraine, according to the Baza media outlet that has close ties to law enforcement.

Belgorod regional governor confirmed the attack late last night in a message on Telegram.

“In Belgorod and the Belgorod region, two fires have been registered at civilian facilities,” he said, adding that there had been no casualties.

The suspected attacks came as Ukraine was reportedly preparing a counter-offensive to retake territory from invading Russian forces.

Two power stations were attacked, cutting electricity supplies to thousands of Belgorod residents

The city of Belgorod and the region of Belgorod were hit by Ukrainian explosives seemingly overnight

A power plant is on fire from a passing car after a suspected Ukrainian attack in Russia’s western Belgorod region

The Belgorod region has occasionally experienced drone and missile attacks from Ukrainian territory, albeit on a much smaller scale than the regular bombings dozens of Ukrainian cities have suffered since the Russian invasion.

But Kiev officials have also spoken of using sabotage tactics to start fires and disrupt logistics in Russia.

Chief of intelligence Major General Kyrylo Budanov knowingly said in a recent interview that many unusual explosions and fires took place in the area in Western Russia.

“Much of this is no coincidence… Something is constantly on fire [in Russia]he said, admitting that Ukraine paid Russian saboteurs to damage or destroy key infrastructure and logistical equipment to slow down supply routes from Moscow to eastern Ukraine.

“Signal equipment on railways, they light up several times a day, on several highways constantly for two to three hours, sometimes five to six hours, traffic is stopped,” Budanov added.

“Obviously it doesn’t just happen…. I would put it this way: money works wonders.’

Ukraine has been building up its forces over the winter for a so-called spring counter-offensive, though it is not sure when or where the attacks are likely to take place.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal claimed last week that the counter-offensive would begin in the “near future,” while President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a televised address this weekend that final preparations were being made.

The key is the continued destruction of the occupiers, which is done to reduce their logistical capabilities and any potential in the occupied territories. This is preparation for our active operations, this is counter-offensive work,” he said.

But the constant fighting in the Donbas region, particularly around the embattled city of Bakhmut, is said to have consumed a huge amount of both Ukrainian and Russian resources.

The Wagner mercenary group, which has spearheaded much of Russia’s offensives in Bakhmut in recent months, claimed to have taken more of the city on Saturday — though Ukrainian defense officials say their forces have not been defeated.

And US intelligence documents leaked online seemed to indicate that Ukraine’s spring offensive could fail for lack of air defense munitions.

The report also revealed that US planners doubt Ukraine’s ability to launch a counterattack this spring, hit hard by “deficiencies in force generation and support.”

Ukraine’s air defenses could be exhausted in weeks, leaving the country vulnerable to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fighter jets, newly leaked Pentagon documents show.

This document appears to reflect the state of Ukraine’s air defenses in February and May, when they are expected to be seriously depleted

A Ukrainian Su-25 flies after an attack on Russian positions in the Donetsk region

A Ukrainian Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires close to the front line in the northern Kherson region

Russia has so far struggled to gain the upper hand in the skies, with Ukraine’s anti-aircraft systems and fighter jets keeping Russian warplanes at bay since the initial invasion.

But Air Force spokesman Colonel Yuri Ihnat warned Russia could push through within weeks if Ukraine’s air defenses don’t hold up. The times reported.

He said: “If we lose the battle for our airspace, the consequences will be critical. The Russians will destroy every city, just like in Syria.

‘Our nuclear power plants will also be vulnerable. And we will fight to protect our troops on the front line.”

Currently, Buk and S-300 anti-aircraft missiles make up about 90 percent of Ukrainian air defense.

The Soviet-era technology has been supplemented by Western-supplied HIMARS systems, a multiple missile launch system developed for the US military in the 1990s.

Ihnat said the difficulty was in replenishing the weapons, which are produced only by Russia. He said Slovakia had been able to deliver so far.

The ability to station and resupply Ukrainian surface-to-air missiles has been documented as one of Ukraine’s most immediate priorities for averting Russian aggression.

After months of deadlock, the end of winter was expected to bring a new Russian offensive, but experts say the attack has “stalled.”