A Russian warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine late on Thursday, causing an explosion and damaging buildings, Russian news agency Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.
Key points:
- Belgorod’s governor said a Sukhoi Su-34 plane accidentally discharged ammunition into the city
- Two women were injured in the blast
- An investigation into the incident is underway, TASS reports
Local authorities reported a large blast in the Russian city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine.
The regional governor said two women had been injured when a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane accidentally discharged aviation ammunition.
The Su-34 is a supersonic fighter-bomber.
The ministry said some buildings had been damaged and announced a probe was already under way, according to Tass.
Video footage from the site showed piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and a building with broken windows.
One shot showed what appeared to be car upside down on the roof of a store.
“I was already in bed. The explosion was so strong that I jumped up,” a local resident said.
The Belgorod region is one of several parts of southern Russia where targets such as fuel and ammunition stores have been rocked by explosions since the start of what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Reuters