Belgorod Hit by Missile, Drones Strike Near Moscow as Russia Reports Over 140 UAVs Downed

Ukraine reportedly launched a missile strike on the Russian city of Belgorod early Monday, Dec. 15, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

“According to preliminary information, there are no casualties. The shelling caused significant damage to utility infrastructure. Emergency services are working to deal with the consequences,” Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

He added that the blast wave shattered windows in six apartment buildings and one private house.

Local outlet Pepel reported that following the strike, a plume of smoke rose near the Luch Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHPP) - one of Belgorod’s main electricity and heating facilities, which runs on natural gas. The plant supplies power and heat to parts of the Kharkovskaya Gora neighborhood and other areas of the city.

The Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ suggested that the strike may have been carried out using the US-made HIMARS system.

“In Belgorod, after a missile alert, thick smoke is rising near the thermal power plant, presumably caused by Mr. HIMARS,” the channel wrote.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) previously struck the Belgorod Thermal Power Plant on Sept. 28, hitting the city’s Luch substation and causing power outages in Belgorod, Stary Oskol, Shebekino, and several other towns.

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Another attack on Oct. 5 damaged one of the plant’s power units, leaving thousands without electricity.

Meanwhile, Russian Telegram channels reported drone attacks on Moscow and the surrounding region on the evening of Sunday, Dec. 14. Residents of Kashira, south of Moscow, reported explosions, with videos of the blasts circulating online.

Authorities temporarily imposed restrictions at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports, though flights later resumed. Throughout the night, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported the downing of 15 drones.

Exilenova+ also claimed that the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant was attacked early Monday. NASA satellite data reportedly detected a fire in the sulfur storage area of the Enersal granulated sulfur production facility.

The plant processes up to 3.2 million tons of petroleum products annually and produces a significant share of the sulfur used in Russia’s explosives industry.

The facility reportedly has been successfully attacked at least twice. Reuters previously reported that after a drone strike on Sept. 22, the plant fully halted motor fuel production due to a fire.

Another strike on Jan. 3 damaged a key gas condensate processing unit critical for gasoline and diesel production.

According to Exilenova+, Monday’s attack may have affected two major areas of the plant, including facilities involved in converting gas condensate and light hydrocarbons into finished fuels.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 130 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones between 11 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 7 a.m. on Dec. 15. This included 38 drones over the Astrakhan region, 15 en route to Moscow, and eight over the Belgorod region.

A later update said another 16 drones were downed between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., including four over the Moscow region, three of them heading toward the capital.

Ukraine has not commented on the reported attacks.

Since early fall, Russian forces have continued to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages. Ukrainian officials say electricity restrictions are likely to remain in place for an extended period as Russian attacks on the energy sector persist.

The latest missile and drone strike on power generation, distribution, and transmission facilities occurred early on December 13, plunging Odesa into a blackout that left the city without water and heating.