A Russian fighter jet on Thursday night accidentally discharged a weapon that exploded in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian boarder.
Belgorod’s regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov said the blast had left a huge crater about 20 metres (60ft) wide in the city centre, the Vanguard reports.
According to the report, three people were injured in the explosion while several buildings were destroyed as the Sukhoi Su-34 a supersonic fighter-bomber fighter jet discharged.
“At around 22.15 Moscow time on April 20 when a SU-34 plane of Russian Aerospace Forces was performing a flight above the city of Belgorod, an emergency release of an air ordinance occurred,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The Belgorod’s region, which is about an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, has been hit by rockets several times since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Reports revealed that two women were taken to a hospital for treatment, and a nine-storey apartment block was evacuated because of potential structural damage,” Gladkov said.
Meanwhile, an investigation into the cause of the incident is expected to be conducted by the Russian Defence Ministry.
