Thousands evacuated in Russia’s Belgorod after bomb scare

Seventeen apartment buildings were evacuated after an explosive device was found in the city near the border with Ukraine.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated in the Russian city of Belgorod on Saturday as an explosive device was removed, the regional governor said.

Two days earlier, a Russian warplane accidentally dropped a bomb on the city, damaging local homes, authorities said.

The evacuees lived in the same area.

The city is about 40 km (25 mi) from the border with Ukraine.

Military explosives experts decided to “neutralize” the explosive at a training ground, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

“The operational headquarters decided to evacuate 17 apartment buildings within a radius of 200 meters. According to preliminary data, more than 3,000 people are involved. Anyone who needs help with temporary housing will be provided,” he said.

Belgorod mayor Valentin Demidov said precautionary evacuations ended later in the day.

“The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being returned to their homes,” Demidov wrote on Telegram.

On Thursday, a Russian Sukhoi-34 supersonic warplane accidentally fired a weapon at Belgorod, causing an explosion and injuring three people, Russian officials said.