In Belgorod, just before midnight local time, a powerful blast shook the city, creating a massive crater at a busy junction south of the central area where Vatutin and Gubkin streets intersect.
Residents and several Telegram channels reported the emergency, noting that there were no immediate casualties. A large funnel appeared at the crossroad with a radius of about 20 meters. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the blast damaged the windows of a nearby apartment, disrupted numerous parked cars, and knocked down power poles in the vicinity.
The Belgorod mayor, Valentin Demidov, stated that the head of the regional security department, Yevgeny Vorobyov, along with all emergency and response teams, were deployed to the scene to coordinate the response.
Footage captured by locals showed a widening rupture at a busy intersection, with soil and roadway sprawling across meters of distance. The nearby Pyaterochka supermarket sustained damage as well. Eyewitnesses estimated the funnel’s depth at around three meters.
There were reports of a car being hurled onto the roof of the supermarket by the force of the blast, according to residents on the ground.
Authorities cordoned off the area and asked the public to stay away from the scene and refrain from returning home if they were outside the affected zone. Emergency responders urged calm and orderly conduct while securing the perimeter.
On social networks, some users suggested that the incident could be a missile strike, noting a nearby electrical substation or a thermal power plant located within a short distance of the crater.
Be aware of the News channel on Telegram, where eyewitnesses described the current eruption as different from past events in the city. They reported a whistling sound followed by a thunderous blast, with the shock wave toppling poles and trees and cutting power to parts of a residence.
Security camera footage later emerged, depicting a low overflight followed by a bright explosion at the intersection about 13 seconds later, aligning with accounts of a sudden, airborne threat.
By midnight, the Russian Ministry of Defense attributed the explosion to an abnormal drop of aerial ammunition from an aircraft over Belgorod, stating that an aviation munition did not deploy as intended during a Su-34 VKS flight over the area.
Mayor Demidov added that while houses along Gubkin and Vatutin streets did not suffer direct structural damage, destruction was evident on Shalandina Street, impacting several apartments. The city’s information center announced that temporary shelter in a hotel would be arranged for residents of the affected homes.
A video shared by residents showed a portion of an exterior wall collapsed, along with a damaged window, and ruined appliances and furniture inside an affected unit.
Governor Gladkov later confirmed that two women sustained injuries. One suffered a craniocerebral trauma and was transferred to City Hospital No. 2 in stable condition, while the second woman received treatment at the scene for bruises and declined hospital admission.