On the night of 25 July, explosions were heard and fires broke out in Belgorod, Engels, Rostov-on-Don and the temporarily occupied city of Luhansk. In Belgorod, drones attacked logistics and energy facilities; in Engels, a building near the airfield caught fire; and in Rostov, residential buildings were damaged during Russian air defence operations.
Briefly about the main points
- In Belgorod, fires were reported at several sites, including near the «Yuzhnaya» substation and the «Luch» thermal power station.
- The Russian authorities have acknowledged the damage and fires on the streets of Belgorod.
- A fire broke out in Engels in the area where the military base is located.
- In Rostov, residential buildings were damaged during an air defence operation, and a fire broke out in the city.
- In occupied Luhansk, a glow and smoke were observed following an explosion.
Belgorod: fires at warehouses and power facilities
The most frequent reports of the attack came from Belgorod. Local residents wrote about numerous drones, explosions and air defence activity.
According to monitoring channels, logistics warehouses, the «Yuzhnaya» substation and the «Luch» thermal power station were hit. Fires broke out at several sites, and thick smoke could be seen rising above the city.
The Russian authorities have confirmed damage and fires on the city’s streets and reported that the fire service and special units have been deployed. However, they have not published a full list of the affected sites, nor have they provided any information on the possible impact on the power supply Belgorod.
Footage from the city shows bright flashes and debris scattering following the explosions. It is not currently possible to determine from these images exactly which sites are shown in each case.
Fire in the Engels-1 area
In Engels, in the Saratov Region, a major fire broke out in the area around Engels-1 Street. Local residents and monitoring sources reported that a military base is located there.
Nearby are facilities at the «Engels-2» airfield, which is used by the Russian strategic air force. The footage released shows intense flames, a column of smoke and a glow above the buildings.
Prior to the fire breaking out, eyewitnesses did not report any explosions or air strikes in the area. The cause of the fire has not been officially stated; nor is there any confirmation of damage to equipment or infrastructure at the airfield itself.
Engels had already experienced air raid on the night of 16 July. A second incident near aviation infrastructure within nine days may mean that Russia needs to step up security in the area, although there is no information to suggest any change in the airbase’s operations.
Damage in Rostov and explosions in occupied Luhansk
In Rostov-on-Don, local TV channels reported explosions and the deployment of Russian air defence systems. During an attempt to intercept aerial targets, a residential area was damaged, where a major fire broke out following the explosions. The exact cause of the damage — whether it was caused by air defence munitions, falling debris or a drone strike — has not been officially established.
A series of explosions was also heard in the temporarily occupied city of Luhansk. A fire broke out following one of the strikes; local media outlets shared footage showing flames and smoke. The exact location, target, weapon used and nature of the damage remain unknown.
Overnight events against the backdrop of attacks on Russian infrastructure
The Ukrainian military has not commented on the events of the night of 25 July. There is therefore no basis for grouping all these incidents together as a single operation or for determining the final outcome of the strikes.
The day before, the SBU reported that long-range strikes on oil refineries and fuel facilities in Russia, and a radar station in occupied Crimea. Taken together, these reports may indicate continued pressure on various types of Russian infrastructure — fuel, energy, logistics and military. The operational consequences of the night-time fires in Belgorod and Engels require separate confirmation.
