The Defense Ministry in Moscow said a Russian warplane had accidentally bombed the town of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine.
Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the explosion left a huge crater about 20 meters (60 feet) wide in the city center. Three people were injured and several buildings damaged, he said. One building was evacuated. The ministry said a Su-34 fighter-bomber accidentally dropped the bomb.
The Defense Department said the bomb fell at 10:15 p.m. local time (1915 GMT) on Thursday. There was no explanation for the bombardment other than what he described as “an unusual aerial bombardment”. The bomb landed at the intersection of two roads not far from the city center and next to residential buildings. Gladkov said two women were taken to hospital for treatment and a nine-story building was evacuated due to possible structural damage.
An investigation is underway. Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov speaks to a local resident affected by the explosion Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov visited a resident affected by the explosion Photos and videos on social media showed damaged apartments in the blast, and a car crashed onto the roof of a local shop next to an apartment building.
The regional governor said Belgorod residents had had a difficult night but would make it through. Belgorod – a city of 370,000 people – is about 40 km from the Ukrainian border. It is located just north of Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, and residents have lived in fear of Ukrainian bombardment since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Russian jets also regularly fly over the city en route to Ukraine.
