Russia warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine, causing blast
- A weapon discharged by a Sukhoi Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber caused an explosion that left a crater in Belgorod and injured two women
- Footage from the scene shows damaged cars and wrecked apartments, and grim-looking locals huddling outside
A Russian warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine late on Thursday, causing an explosion and damaging buildings, the Tass news agency reported, citing the defence ministry.
Local authorities reported a large blast that left a crater in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine. The regional governor said two women had been injured.
“As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition,” Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.
It did not say what kind of weapon was involved.
The Su-34 is a supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft.
The ministry said some buildings had been damaged and announced a probe was already under way, according to Tass.
Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, announcing a state of emergency, said on Telegram there was a crater measuring 20 metres (65 feet) across on one of the main streets. Four cars and four apartment buildings were damaged, he added.
Citing preliminary information, Gladkov said one woman was hospitalised with a head injury, while another woman was treated at the scene.
Gladkov and Belgorod’s mayor, Valentin Demidov, posted pictures of damage on social media.
One picture showed grim-looking locals huddling outside an apartment building, with one woman holding a small dog, and a fire engine nearby. Other images showed apartment interiors wrecked by the blast.
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.
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.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
