Belgorod Without Hot Water Until the End of April: The War’s Impact on Both Sides of the Border

Authorities in the Russian city of Belgorod have announced that the city will remain without hot water until the end of April due to severely damaged energy infrastructure. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that buildings connected to the centralized heating system will not be able to receive hot water until the end of the heating season, which lasts approximately until late April. The supply of cold water, gas, electricity, and heating will depend on primary and backup energy sources, while temporary power outages remain possible in several districts.
Regional officials attribute the crisis to Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure, as well as long-term wear and tear of the grid. This year, energy facilities in the Belgorod region have repeatedly come under attack from the Ukrainian side.
These attacks are presented as a response to Russia’s systematic campaign of destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which began in September 2022 following Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. Since then, Russian forces have regularly targeted power plants, substations, and distribution networks across Ukraine.
This winter, Russian strikes have been particularly harsh. Large parts of Kyiv and Kharkiv have been left without heating and electricity in the midst of an exceptionally cold winter, with temperatures far below freezing. Under such conditions, energy outages are not merely a matter of comfort, but of safety and survival.
A similar scenario is now, at least in part, spilling across the Russian border. Belgorod, a city of more than 320,000 residents, is facing prolonged utility crises that demonstrate how energy infrastructure has become a central battlefield in this war. Instead of remaining neutral civilian infrastructure, the energy system has turned into an instrument of pressure – and, as usual, civilians are paying the price.
Photo: The Energo gas turbine combined heat and power plant in Belgorod, damaged in a Ukrainian missile strike on December 17.