The regional head, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced that an air defense system is active over Belgorod and the surrounding Belgorod region. RIA Novosti reported nine loud blasts in Belgorod, while Edition Mash noted twelve explosions. The reports highlight a tense morning as the city endured repeated shocks and alarms.
RIA Novosti’s correspondent observed that windows in the city center trembled and car alarms sounded, underscoring the disruption caused by the blasts. The Baza Telegram channel added that some buildings sustained shattered windows and numerous vehicles were damaged in the area. Gladkov confirmed that the air defense system was operational over the city and its region, noting that there were consequences on the ground in the affected zones.
In the village of Sevryukovo within the Belgorod region, debris landed on a car. Readovka’s Telegram channel reported two occupants inside the vehicle; they were not injured. In the Luch micro-region, several four-story apartment buildings suffered broken windows, and preliminary data indicated damage to fourteen houses in the private sector. The district administration also indicated that nine cars were damaged. Emergency services were mobilized and a door-to-door check was underway in the region, according to Gladkov.
A poultry farm in the Belgorod region reportedly came under fire. Zhest Belgorod’s Telegram channel claimed the fourth building of the Yasnye Zori poultry farm, located in the village of the same name, sustained damage. Officials reported one person dead and another injured as a result of the attack.
Gladkov confirmed the death and injury figures, stating, “Unfortunately, there is 1 dead and 1 injured. There is damage to the chicken farm. I went there myself.” The district head added that the deceased worker had arrived from Tambov and was employed by a contractor involved in constructing a poultry farm workshop.
In a broader tally, Kommersant noted that the official reports identified the deceased as the 24th civilian casualty in the Belgorod region since the onset of the military operation when Ukrainian bombardment began. The Zhest Belgorod Telegram channel reported damage to a poultry farm building and several pieces of specialized equipment. Gladkov disclosed that eight people were injured across the city and region, with seven hospitalized and one in intensive care. One person declined hospitalization and was treated as an outpatient, according to the governor. The condition of four victims was described as moderate.
bombardment warning
The Belgorod Telegraph channel No. 1 reported that residents received SMS alerts from the RSChS advising them to shelter in basements as the bombardment occurred. The notices began around 13:40, following initial media coverage of the events. Local residents quoted by MK described this as the first time such messages had appeared on their devices during the conflict. Some residents later received notices indicating that the bombardment had ended.
Historically, such warnings had been directed to residents of border settlements. The latest updates indicated that air defense activity over Belgorod had not occurred since December 1, when villages in the Shebekinsky and Valuysky districts experienced bombardments. On December 16, the Shebekinsky district reported damage to the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka. The region extended a “yellow” terrorist threat level through December 21 and imposed a ban on firing and celebratory fireworks in the area. Border regions across Russia regularly report bombardments, with the yellow threat level extending to nearby Crimea as well as the Bryansk and Kursk regions.