As part of an all-out attack on major Ukrainian towns, Russian jets inadvertently attacked a hamlet in Russia. The aircraft involved in the friendly fire made an emergency landing in the Russian hamlet of Petropavlovka.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that an emergency discharge of aviation bombs occurred at around 9:00 a.m. on January 2 as an Air Force jet was flying above the Voronezh Region town of Petropavlovka. Petropavlovka is about 60 miles east of the border between Russia and Ukraine.
The incident is being investigated. The Defense Ministry said an on-site panel is now evaluating the damage and assisting with building repair. The Ministry denied any deaths due to the unintentional strike.
Reports show the regional governor of Russia ordered the urgent reconstruction of nine homes in the community.
A local school, an administration building, and an arts center were also damaged. Additionally, five vehicles and a tractor were destroyed. Governor Alexander Gusev promised to rebuild the nine residences and reimburse damages as quickly as possible.
There were no fatalities, but four individuals received medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries, and locals were given access to mental health services, he said.
Adding insult to injury, authorities said a drone strike fired from Ukraine on January 16 caused damage to many buildings and injured a child. The mayor of Voronezh, in southern Russia, proclaimed a state of emergency.
Drone debris started a small blaze and blew out many windows, forcing people from at least a single apartment complex to escape to a nearby school, according to Mayor Vadim Kstenin’s statement on the Telegram app.
The Russian defense ministry said via its Telegram channel that it eliminated five unmanned aircraft and intercepted three more in the Voronezh area, which borders Ukraine.
In the neighboring province of Belgorod in Russia, the ministry also claimed to have intercepted four drones.
