The Russian city of Belgorod, which is close to the Ukrainian border, was mistakenly attacked by a Russian fighter jet, according to the Russian defence ministry.
The explosion produced a massive hole in the main city that was roughly 20 metres (60 feet) broad, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
According to him, numerous structures were damaged, and three persons suffered injuries. An apartment block was evacuated.
According to the ministry, a Su-34 fighter-bomber accidently dropped the bomb.
The device reportedly went off on Thursday at 19:15 GMT (23:15 MUT). An “abnormal descent of aviation ammunition” was the only explanation given for the bombing.
The bomb was dropped in close proximity to residential structures and at the crossroads of two roads.
Video of the bombing was posted on social media showing early blast images and some damage caused, as cars ran continuously along Prospekt Vatutina. The bomb then explodes 18 seconds later, destroying a portion of the road and hitting one of the automobiles as it passes.
According to Gladkov, a nine-story apartment building was evacuated due to possible structural damage, and two ladies were taken to the hospital for treatment.
An investigation is being conducted.
Posts including pictures and videos on social media show explosion causing damage to apartments. The effect of the blast was such that one car even landed up on the roof of the neighborhood convenience store, just close to a block of apartments. On Friday morning, a crane pulled the automobile from the roof.
The regional governor remarked that although Belgorod’s citizens had a challenging night, they would overcome it.
A 370,000-person city called Belgorod is around 25 miles (40 km) from the Ukrainian border. It lies nearby Nearby Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, and its residents have lived in fear of Ukrainian shelling ever since Russia invaded its neighbor in 2022.
Russian aircraft frequently pass over the city en route to Ukraine.
