Blackouts in Russia are just the beginning - Ukrainian journalist
Explosion after missile strike on Belgorod, Feb. 15, 2026 (Photo: Exilenova+ via Telegram)
Recent Ukrainian strikes that caused blackouts in Russian border cities are merely 'training,' journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk said in an interview with Radio NV on Feb. 17.
He stressed that Russian regions only appear on central television when dictator Vladimir Putin visits, yet he now avoids traveling to Belgorod 'for some reason.'
Strikes on these cities are a taboo topic on Russian state media, he added.
However, Tsymbaliuk highlighted that Ukraine is not striking Russian cities enough.
"Even Z-bloggers have caught the trend: if hostilities do not stop, by the next heating season we will be in a completely different state regarding attacks on Russia," he said.
"Therefore, Belgorod, Bryansk, Oryol, a little bit of Kursk — this is not serious, especially when there are still houses without heating in Kyiv. It's not enough; it's all training."
Russian blackouts in February
A missile strike hit a thermal power plant in Belgorod on Feb. 15, causing mass power outages across the city.
Belgorod Oblast governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated on Feb. 14 that extensive energy infrastructure damage will leave some homes without hot water until the end of the heating season.
On Feb. 8, Gladkov reported the evacuation of children and elderly residents due to the inability to restore heating and electricity after Ukrainian strikes.
Separately, a Ukrainian drone attack on Bryansk Oblast on Feb. 15 left parts of the region, including the city of Bryansk, completely without power.
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