A Russian fighter jet accidentally bombed their own city leaving a huge 60ft crater and injuring two women, Moscow admitted on Thursday night.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the bombing of the city near the border with Ukraine, which has a population of roughly 400,000, had also damaged buildings.
“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.
“It happened at the intersection of one of the central streets, leaving a huge impact crater,” Gladkov, said in a Telegram post.
Photos and videos on social media show apartments damaged by the blast, while one image appears to a show a car on the roof of a building.
The ministry said some buildings had been damaged and announced a probe was already under way, according to Tass.
Belgorod is about 25 miles from the Ukrainian border, lying just north of Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv.
Russian jets regularly fly over the city on their way to Ukraine.
Their statement said: “However, Russian online outlets are likely exaggerating the overall impact of mud on Ukrainian forces as part of an information operation aimed at raising Russian morale, and undermining Ukraine’s supporters, in light of an anticipated Ukrainian counter offensive.
“Surface conditions can be expected to improve in the coming weeks. The threat from mines probably continues to be a more important factor in limiting the combatants’ off-road manoeuvre.”
