Russian jet accidentally drops bomb on Russian city of Belgorod

Russian jet accidentally drops bomb on Russian city of Belgorod

A Russian warplane dropped a bomb on a Russian city of more than 400,000 people late Thursday, leaving a crater 20 meters (65 feet) across, blowing a car onto a roof and damaging buildings in what state media called an “accidental” or “emergency” release of air ordnance.

A Russian Su-34 aircraft, a twin-engine fighter-bomber, was performing a flight over the city of Belgorod, 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) north of the border with Ukraine when the “accidental” drop of munition took place, according to reports from state news agency RIA Novosti.

“At around 22:15 Moscow time on April 20, when a Su-34 plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces was performing a flight above the city of Belgorod, an emergency release of an air ordnance occurred,” TASS quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying.

An overturned car landed on the roof of a store, according to RIA Novosti.

Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov wrote on his Telegram channel that several apartment buildings were damaged in the blast.

Two people were reported injured in the explosion, Gladkov said.

Russian state media boasted about the country’s Su-34 warplanes last December, when it said a “new batch of … frontline bombers” had been delivered to Russian forces to use against Ukraine. It did not give a specific number of planes delivered.

“The Su-34 bomber will constitute the basic strike power of Russian frontline aircraft. The upgraded Su-34 warplane features extended combat capabilities enabling it to employ advanced air-launched munitions, increase the range of striking ground and naval targets and expand the conditions and accuracy of bombing runs,” a TASS report at the time said.

The planes can carry a variety of munitions, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles as well as guided and unguided bombs.

Russian jet accidentally drops bomb on Russian city of Belgorod