'Now we get hit too' Payback attacks fuel unease in Russia's border cities

The sounds of war have become louder in Belgorod, a mid-sized Russian city about 25 miles from the border with Ukraine. And the blasts are more frequent.

- Pjotr Sauer

"On Sunday, we were woken up again by explosions. You never know if it's them or us firing," said Vladimir, a shopkeeper in the city.

Local people such as Vladimir first witnessed Russia's military buildup at the start of the year, when thousands of troops massed near Belgorod before Moscow's attack on 24 February. He said: "When the conflict started, we would hear rockets being launched into Ukraine. But now we get hit too. It is a different sound."

As the war has dragged on and Russia failed in its objective to quickly seize the capital, Kyiv, officials in Belgorod and other border cities have in recent weeks reported a series of attacks by Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine has not directly accepted responsibility but has described the incidents as payback and "karma" for Russia, almost three months after it invaded its neighbour.

The apparent Ukrainian attacks, which started when two helicopters struck an oil depot in Belgorod on 1 April, have brought a new element into the war, raising the previously unthinkable possibility that some of the devastating damage that Moscow has inflicted on Ukraine will come to Russia's own territory.

"We talk a lot about what is happening, of course. The atmosphere in the city is sort of tense," said Anna, a local teacher.