Belgorod: Russia's supersonic fighter jet fired 'accidentally' in its own city, injuring three
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At least three people were injured in a massive explosion after a Russian Sukhoi-34 supersonic warplane accidentally shot down the Russian city of Belgorod, officials said on Friday.
The accidental bombing damaged several buildings inside the Russian border city and was confirmed by a regional governor and the Russian Defense Ministry.
Belgorod’s regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, declared a state of emergency overnight after a 20-metre (65 ft) deep crater left one of the city’s main streets.
Mr. Gladkov said three people, including two women, were injured in the incident.
“Thank God no one is dead,” he said in a statement on Telegram.
The explosion damaged four cars and four residential apartments, with rescue workers evacuating the building overnight. Belgorod mayor Valentin Demidov was also seen talking with a local resident at a damaged apartment.
Videos from the scene showed a pile of debris along the road with damaged cars and buildings, with shattered window panes in the background. A picture after the attack shows a car lying upside down on the roof of a store.
“When a Sukhoi Su-34 Air Force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod, it accidentally released anti-aircraft ammunition,” Tass quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying.
The ministry said it has opened an investigation into the incident and confirmed that the explosion caused damage to some buildings.
Across the border from Ukraine, the Belgorod region is 40 kilometers (24 mi) north of the war-torn nation and one of the main parts of southern Russia that has come under attack since the start of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Russia. Has gone.
In July last year, at least three people were killed in Belgorod after explosions rocked the Russian city bordering Ukraine.
At least 11 apartment buildings and 39 private homes were damaged in the attack, while five homes were completely destroyed.
