Next to the theatre and the regional parliament building, they look out of place.

The word "ukrytiye" is printed in red on the side of each one. It means "cover".

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They are bomb shelters, and there are hundreds all over the city. Supposedly, they're temporary, but two years after being installed, they feel increasingly permanent.

When the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine four years ago, bomb shelters on home soil were definitely not part of the battle plans.

Nor were the barricades at Belgorod's bus stops. Nor the anti-drone nets draped over its schools and shopping centre. Nor the now frequent blackouts and power cuts.

But by exporting war, Russia also brought it home, and Belgorod has been on the frontline of Ukraine's retaliation.

At 25 miles (40km) from the border, it is the closest Russian city to the fighting.

We meet 80-year-old Lyudmila outside her apartment block on the outskirts of the city, a few hours after it has been hit by drones.

One crashed into her bedroom while she and her husband Vladimir were at home.

"It flew in through the window, hit the floor, exploded and then flew into the other room," she tells us, still in shock.

As we're looking up at the charred brickwork, an air raid siren sounds.

"Again," Lydumila sighs, before showing us inside to take shelter.

When the siren stops, we make our way up to her apartment, where I'm hit by a smell of burning as soon as the door opens.

There are cracks in the walls and scorch marks on the floor. The furniture inside has already been removed by emergency crews because there's nothing left to salvage.

The blast would almost certainly have killed the couple had they been in the same room.

"We are so tired, you cannot even imagine," she says.

"Lord, what did we do to deserve this? We lived in Ukraine, we were friends. And look at this, now we're fighting each other."

It is rare to hear people discuss the war so openly in Russia, where any criticism of it can land you behind bars.

But Belgorod isn't like other Russian cities. The war can feel distant and detached in other parts of the country, but not here.

There is a constant threat of attack, as we find out first-hand.

'Lucky escape'

We are on our way to the town of Shebekino, five miles (8km) from the Ukrainian border, when suddenly there's a loud bang.

"Stop!" one of the team yells. "Quick, get out!" Our vehicle has just been hit by a drone.

We jump out and race across the ice for cover behind the wall of a derelict factory.

We don't know where the drone came from. Our radar scanner didn't show any threats.

We believe it was a "sleeper" drone that had been lying in wait for a potential target.

For some reason, its pilot, operating the machine remotely via an onboard camera, chose our car.

Laden with explosives, kamikaze drones are designed to detonate on impact.

This one didn't. Instead, it lay smouldering in the road before the military arrived to take it away.

It was a very lucky escape and a terrifyingly close illustration of the everyday dangers for people in the region.

'Alone in our grief'

Like Moscow, Kyiv denies targeting civilians.

But as in Ukraine, civilians in Russia have been killed in the war too, albeit on a much smaller scale.

At least 440 people have died in the Belgorod region since the fighting began, according to the local authorities, compared to more than 15,000 the UN says have been killed in Ukraine.

Liza's mother, Viktoriya, died when Belgorod was shelled just over two years ago.

She had been out shopping with Liza, whose left leg was amputated after being hit by shrapnel. She was eight months old at the time.

"Those were very difficult days," says her uncle Dmitri, who stayed with Liza in hospital for several months and adopted her.

"She and I were left alone in our grief."

Dmitri was born in Belgorod, and that's where his whole family lives, including his mother and grandmother. That's why he's stayed. But it means life is essentially on hold - spent largely indoors and under cover.

"I wish there was peace, for children to live full lives," he tells me.

"Our children know what Vampire strikes are, what drones are, what an FPV [first-person-view] is. A child this age doesn't need to know this.

"There should be a childhood, and not this situation."

At an official level, Belgorod has embraced its role as a frontline city.

A local museum has put on a special exhibition called "Angels of Victory", which honours Belgorod's air defences.

Visitors are shown the remnants of Ukrainian missiles and drones that have been shot down.

There's no mention of why Belgorod has come under attack. No word on who started the war. The only message is that Russia is the victim.

It is the same with the bomb shelters. They've inspired a new line of souvenir keyrings. A sign of danger turned into a symbol of defiance.

'Together until victory'

There are many here who believe the narrative. At the local Communist Party offices, a group of elderly women are weaving camouflage nets that will be sent to Russian soldiers at the front.

"[The troops] are our protection, we are their protection. Together we are strong, together until victory," Olga tells me, under the watchful gaze of Joseph Stalin, whose giant portrait hangs on the wall.

The women say they have been making the nets every single day since the war started, and promise to continue until it ends.

"We have a lot of work to do," Raisa says, as an image of another icon of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin, looms large behind her.

"We're just glad that we're so strong and not tired of anything. We just want peace and a real life."

While some have faith in Russia's path, it is clear there is also frustration here.

And it seems to be growing, the harder life gets.

Galina, 73, has been living by candlelight for the past five days, following a Ukrainian strike on the local power grid.

But who does she criticise? The local authorities, for not fixing the problem when they said they would.

"We understand the military situation, we understand, but you can't understand lies," she says.

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Thousands in Ukraine have been living without heating and electricity for several weeks during the winter because of Russia's targeting of energy infrastructure.

But now people here are experiencing that too, as temperatures outside hit -20C.

Tatyana has her hat and coat on as she shows us through the gloom into her apartment. She fears the blackouts will continue.

"It's been going on for a very long time, and it's like we're just licking our wounds, unable to recover quickly," she says.

And that's just it - no one knows when this will end.

For all the diplomacy, there are still no breakthroughs. Peace talks keep hitting a brick wall.

And even if Moscow does get the favourable end of any peace deal, many here may wonder whether it's all been worth it.

The cost of war for Russia has been laid bare - the losses, the sanctions, the isolation. But the benefits? After four years, they are still unclear.

NBC Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie said on Instagram that "someone knows how to find our mom and bring her home" on Tuesday, and urged people to keep Ms Guthrie in their thoughts.

The 84-year-old went missing more than three weeks ago after she failed to appear at church on 1 February.

She was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of 31 January. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, or otherwise taken against her will.

The TV presenter said in the video: "Please keep praying without ceasing. We still believe. We still believe in a miracle.

"We still believe that she can come home, hope against hope, as my sister says. We are blowing on the embers of hope.

"We also know that she may be lost. She may already be gone."

The Instagram post says that the family offers its reward on terms consistent with the FBI's criteria for payment of its reward in this case.

The bureau is separately offering a $100,000 reward for any information that leads to Ms Guthrie or to an arrest.

In a post on X, the FBI's office in Phoenix said anyone with "firsthand knowledge" of the missing woman's whereabouts should contact its tip line.

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Several hundred people are working on the investigation into Ms Guthrie's whereabouts, the Pima County Sheriff's Department has said, and more than 20,000 tips have been received.

Authorities have not yet identified a suspect in the case, and said this month that her family are not being investigated.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said: "To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple."

The FBI had previously released doorbell camera images and videos of an armed and masked man outside Ms Guthrie's house on the morning she disappeared.

Two law enforcement sources told Sky's US partner NBC News on Monday that one of the images shared was captured earlier, which the sheriff's office denies.

He said BAFTA has "repeatedly failed" to safeguard the black community.

Tourette's campaigner John Davidson, who was attending the awards ceremony after inspiring the film, I Swear, which dramatises his life with severe Tourette syndrome, has said he's "deeply mortified" his involuntary tics caused him to yell out.

He shouted a racial slur while two black actors, Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo, were on stage presenting the first award of the night.

Richardson said he was stepping down as a BAFTA judge on Monday, over the academy's handling of the incident.

The ceremony, which had been edited down from three hours to two after taking place on Sunday night, was broadcast with the offending moment intact, and remained available to watch on BBC iPlayer for over 12 hours.

Other moments, including director Akinola Davies Jr call to "free Palestine," and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's use of the word "p***" were edited out.

The broadcaster subsequently took the recording down to edit out the slur.

An email sent to all BBC staff on Tuesday from chief content officer Kate Phillips, and seen by Sky News, apologised for the error, and confirmed another racial slur had been removed from the broadcast.

Ms Phillips wrote: "The edit team removed another racial slur from the broadcast. This one was aired in error and we would never have knowingly allowed this to be broadcast. We take full responsibility for what happened."

She ended the memo by apologising for "the distress caused".

In a statement shared online, filmmaker Richardson said he would no longer serve on the emerging talent judging panel due to the organisation's handling of "the unfortunate Tourette's N-Word incident".

Calling it "utterly unforgivable," the producer and director went on: "I cannot and will not contribute my time, energy and expertise to an organisation that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community.

"This is particularly unfortunate given that this year's cohort boasts some incredible Black talent, especially one of my favourite shows of 2025 Just Act Normal."

In a statement released on Monday night, BAFTA apologised for the incident and said it takes "full responsibility" for putting its guests in a "difficult situation".

They apologised "unreservedly" to Sinners stars Jordan and Lindo, and "to all those impacted," adding: "We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism."

The statement continued: "We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all.

"We will learn from this and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy."

Earlier on Monday, the BBC apologised for not removing the slur, saying in a statement: "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta Film Awards.

"This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional.

"We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer."

The host, Alan Cumming, subsequently acknowledged the interruption and explained again about Tourette's.

Richardson has worked in both the UK and the US on projects including Channel 4's Bluefinch and award-winning productions for BET and HBO. He became a BAFTA member in 2011.

In a statement to the Press Association, Davidson said he chose to leave the auditorium early as he was "aware of the distress my tics were causing".

He was made an MBE in 2019 for his efforts to increase understanding of Tourette syndrome, having helped countless families deal with the condition.

What is Tourette's?

According to the NHS, Tourette syndrome is a condition that causes you to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements - called tics.

There is no cure for the condition, but it can be managed through treatment. Tics can be triggered by stress, excitement or tiredness.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention adds that only around one in 10 people with the condition suffer from coprolalia, where a tic is the excessive or uncontrollable use of inappropriate language.

It comes after British newcomer Robert Aramayo won best actor at the BAFTA, beating Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio, with his performance in I Swear.

The film tells Davidson's real-life story, based on his 2025 memoir of the same name.

Sky News has contacted BAFTA for comment.

Today, the problem comes from a reader called Kevin...

My contract with Plusnet was coming to an end in April 2025 and I decided to switch from broadband to full fibre. The activation date was 14/4/25 but nine months later I am still waiting for the service to be activated. Other properties around me have full fibre. I was paying £28.99pm and now having to pay out-of-contract pricing at £62.44pm. Delays have been blamed on work needing to be scheduled by Openreach. Plusnet have told me they will refund the difference for the out-of-contract pricing and that they won't apply the 60-day missed service date compensation cap. As of 13/1/26 this means they owe me £1,709.76 for the missed activation date and £275.12 for out of contract refund. When phoning Plusnet I have been discouraged to leave as I will likely face the same issue with other supplies and may not get the compensation above. This has left me in limbo.

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Money editor Jimmy Rice tackled this one...

Hi Kevin, thanks for getting in touch. Anyone would be at their wit's end after being promised something for so long only for it not to be delivered.

It's all very well being promised compensation eventually, but that offer seems to have come with strings - ie, you don't leave Plusnet. In the meantime, you've been left out of pocket and with a lesser service for nine months.

We were hopeful of getting answers from Plusnet for you as clearly this was an unacceptable state of affairs.

But it turns out we didn't need to. A few days after your email to me, and a day before we emailed their press team (so we don't deserve any credit), Plusnet got in touch to confirm you'd get more than £2,000 in compensation (though you're still waiting for the cash).

I'm told the company's supplier underestimated how long it would take to deliver full fibre to your direct area.

Happy to finally have the compensation you were owed, you've now left Plusnet and opted for a 5G router with EE. You say it's giving you the same speeds as Plusnet full fibre offered.

While you were clearly clued up on your rights, others may not be, particularly about Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, which was responsible for the bulk of Plusnet's payout.

What is it?

Ofcom's compensation scheme is a consumer protection initiative designed to ensure that residential broadband and landline customers in the UK get money back automatically after reporting a genuine fault, without having to chase refunds or make a claim.

The scheme was introduced in April 2019 and has since been adopted by most major telecoms providers.

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Under this system, if your broadband or landline service fails to meet key service standards - such as being repaired on time after a fault or starting on the agreed activation date - your provider must pay you compensation automatically. That means credits or refunds are applied to your account without you having to request them.

Which providers participate?

The scheme is voluntary, so it only applies if your provider has signed up. Most major UK residential broadband and landline providers participate, including:

• BT
• EE
• Sky (including NOW Broadband)
• TalkTalk
• Plusnet
• Virgin Media
• Vodafone
• Hyperoptic
• Utility Warehouse
• Zen Internet

Participation can vary in some circumstances. For example, coverage may depend on the network your service runs on. Customers should check directly with their provider to confirm they are covered.

Note: The scheme generally applies only to residential customers - business broadband and landline contracts are typically not included.

When does compensation kick in?

You are entitled to automatic compensation if any of the following happen:

• Delayed repair after a total loss of service - if your broadband or landline stops working completely and is not fixed within two full working days of reporting the fault to your provider;
• Missed engineer appointments - if an engineer does not attend a scheduled appointment or cancels it with less than 24 hours' notice;
• Delays to the start of a new service - if your provider fails to activate your new broadband or landline service on the agreed date.

"Working days" generally mean Monday to Friday and exclude bank holidays. The two-day repair window begins the first full working day after the fault is reported.

How much compensation will you get?

The amounts are set under the scheme and are adjusted periodically in line with inflation. Current standard rates are:

• £9.98 a day for each calendar day your service remains fully out of action after the initial two working days;
• £31.19 for a missed engineer appointment;
• £6.24 a day for every day a new service is delayed beyond the agreed start date.

Providers can put a cap on the amount of compensation they pay out. After 30 days of an automatic compensation payment occurring, they can serve a cease notice to let you know that automatic compensation payments will stop after a further 30 days.

After this, your provider needs to take reasonable steps to provide a suitable alternative service. If they are not able to give you a suitable alternative, you will still be entitled to automatic compensation under the scheme.

Compensation must be paid automatically, typically as a credit to your bill, within 30 calendar days of the issue being resolved.

Limits and caveats

There are important exceptions. Compensation will not usually be paid if the problem is caused by something inside your home, such as faulty equipment, damaged internal wiring or issues you are responsible for.

You will not qualify if you miss your own engineer appointment or prevent access to the property. The scheme also does not cover mobile services, pay-TV or streaming outages - it applies only to fixed broadband and landline services.

What if you do not receive compensation you think you are owed?

If you believe compensation has not been paid when it should have been, you should first raise the issue with your provider. If the complaint is not resolved, you can escalate it through the company's formal complaints process and, ultimately, to an Ofcom-approved alternative dispute resolution scheme.

British dual nationals will no longer be able to enter the UK using only a foreign passport, as the government starts enforcing its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme from 25 February.

To board a flight, they must present a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement - which costs £589 - or risk being denied boarding.

Travellers face being blocked from boarding their flight, ferry or train if they don't have one of these.

Although British and Irish citizens are exempt from applying for an ETA, airlines must now check passengers have the correct documentation before departure.

Non-visa nationals from 85 countries must also have an ETA before travelling, as part of the government's move towards a fully digital border system.

British and Irish citizens have the right to live in the UK, although they must prove this right when entering at the border.

Dual nationals used to be able to travel on a foreign passport without a certificate of entitlement, which links their right to reside in the UK to their foreign passport - although they risked being delayed by Border Force staff confirming their citizenship.

What should dual nationals do?

From 25 February, dual nationals will need to present either a British passport or certificate of entitlement to enter the UK.

At £94.50, applying for a British passport is much cheaper than a certificate of entitlement - which costs £589.

The Home Office says it has advised dual nationals to make sure they have the right documents to enter the UK since October 2024, and has been advertising about the ETA changes since 2023.

"Without [a British passport or certificate of entitlement], carriers cannot verify they are a British citizen, which may lead to delays or refused boarding," a spokesperson said.

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It's not possible to get an ETA or visa to enter the UK as a British citizen, so dual nationals will either need a passport or certificate of entitlement.

Those who already have a physical certificate of entitlement will automatically receive a new digital version.

But they will need to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to link it to their foreign passport.

Irish citizens can continue to use their Irish passport to enter the UK.

Why are the changes happening?

ETAs are part of what the government says will be a "more streamlined, digital immigration system" that it hopes will mean quicker entry into the UK, reducing queues at the border.

It also says the system will be more secure, and prevent people who shouldn't be entering the UK from doing so.

An ETA costs £16 and allows for multiple journeys and UK stays for up to six months, although it only last for two years.

The government plans to raise the cost to £20 at some point in the future.

It's similar to changes being made in the European Union, where non-EU citizens now need a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) authorisation to enter.