(Moscow) A powerful explosion sounded Thursday in the center of Belgorod, a Russian city located not far from Ukraine, causing material damage and leaving an impressive crater, indicated the local governor, specifying that no victim was to report immediately.
“An explosion has occurred. According to preliminary information, no casualties, ”Viatcheslav Gladkov said on Telegram, without giving details for the moment on the origin of this explosion.
He said the explosion left a crater 20 meters in diameter at the crossroads of the city’s central thoroughfares.
“The windows of a nearby apartment building were damaged, the blast from the explosion damaged several parked cars and knocked down utility poles,” he added.
On Telegram, the mayor of Belgorod, Valentin Demidov published images showing the asphalt ripped open by the explosion, debris in front of a building and the interior of a devastated apartment.
The Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine, is regularly hit by fire, sometimes fatal, attributed by Moscow to Ukraine, but the center of Belgorod is only very rarely hit.
In early July, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that explosions near the center of Belgorod had killed at least four people and injured four. The Russian army then claimed to have shot down three Ukrainian missiles launched against the city.