A Russian military aircraft accidentally dropped an aerial bomb on the city of Belgorod on Wednesday evening, January 21, with the munition landing near residential buildings and carving out a massive crater, the independent outlet ASTRA reported, citing city emergency services.
Earlier, Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported an “emergency incident” on Gubkina Street and confirmed a “crater from a fallen munition,” without specifying its origin.
Sources told ASTRA the weapon was an FAB-500 aerial bomb that a Russian jet allegedly failed to launch at Ukraine. The bomb did not detonate but left a crater roughly 20 meters deep. It fell in close proximity to an apartment building, posing a serious risk to residents.
About 1,600 people from three nearby apartment blocks were evacuated, including 272 children. Forty-three evacuees were housed at temporary accommodation centers, while others went to stay with relatives and friends.
Sappers arrived on scene, police cordoned off the area, and traffic was halted nearby. On the evening of January 22, the bomb was extracted from the ground and transported to a range near the village of Butovo for disposal.
Russian military aircraft have repeatedly dropped missiles and aerial bombs on Russian and occupied territory during strikes on Ukraine, with hundreds of such incidents recorded in recent years. Russian media and authorities often withhold information about these events.
In December the Russian military “dropped” a bomb on a kindergarten in Belgorod, prompting an urgent evacuation of residents.
