A combined drone and missile attack on July 19 severely damaged the dam of the Belgorod Reservoir in Russia's Shebekinsky district, causing uncontrolled water release and flooding in the town of Shebekino, according to the local outlet Pepel, which cited anonymous sources and satellite imagery. The outlet reported that the spillway structure, about 30–35 meters long, was damaged, accounting for roughly 6.3% of the dam's total length of over 550 meters. Satellite images show uncontrolled water discharge and the destruction of a road bridge that ran along the dam's crest. Anonymous sources told Pepel that repair efforts are complicated by ongoing drone attacks targeting both the dam and any equipment or personnel approaching it.
Due to the breach, water from the reservoir is being released uncontrollably, rapidly filling the Nezhegol River, which flows through Shebekino. Pepel reported that infrastructure and coastal structures at city beaches have already been flooded. The local Telegram channel Shepot Shebekino said that on Pobedy Street, 'a lake has formed,' and residents complained that 'now you can neither walk nor drive.' In the downstream village of Bezlyudovka, water levels have risen, presumably due to rising groundwater after the breach.
Acting regional governor Alexander Shuvaev reported on the July 19 attacks. Earlier in the day, he wrote about a strike on a passenger bus in Shebekino that killed five people and wounded 23. In the evening, Shuvaev also reported a strike on a car wash in Belgorod, killing one person and injuring ten.
In autumn 2025, the Belgorod Reservoir dam was previously damaged, with repairs taking five days and affecting only the sluice gates, according to authorities. Pepel described the current destruction as significantly more serious, with an actual collapse of the dam in the spillway area.