Russia said one of its fighter jets lost ammunition over Belgorod near the Ukrainian border on Thursday after local authorities reported a blast that injured two people and left a huge crater in the city.

Iran PressEurope: Russian jets have regularly flown sorties over Belgorod since the launch of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.

On Thursday evening, local officials reported a massive explosion in Belgorod, saying the blast had left a crater in the city center and injured two women. 

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the region of Belgorod, said the blast had sent a shock wave that damaged four apartments and four cars and downed power line poles. 

"An explosion took place," Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that investigators and representatives of the Emergencies Ministry were at the scene.

He said that as a result of the explosion, a "huge" crater some 20 meters wide (65 feet) had appeared in the city center.

Gladkov and Belgorod's mayor, Valentin Demidov, posted pictures of the damage on social media.

One picture showed grim-looking locals huddling outside an apartment building, with one woman holding a small dog, and a fire engine nearby.

Other images showed apartment interiors wrecked by the blast. 

Local authorities did not say what caused the blast, but the Russian defense ministry released a statement saying a fighter aircraft had lost ammunition over Belgorod.

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