A Russian regional governor said Wednesday that he has ordered the reconstruction of nine houses in a town that was accidentally bombed by one of his own warplanes.
The incident took place on Tuesday, when state news agency RIA quoted the Defense Ministry as reporting an “abnormal discharge of aviation munitions” over the town of Petropavlovka in the southern Voronezh region.
Governor Alexander Gusev has said all nine houses will be rebuilt as soon as possible, and that a small local school, an art center and an administrative building have also been damaged.
There were no fatalities, but four people were treated for minor injuries and residents had access to psychological support, he added. Five cars and a tractor were also damaged, the owners of which will receive compensation, he said.
“No resident will be left without help, we will support everyone as much as possible,” Gusev said.
Authorities have not specified the cause of the incident. Although the damage was limited, it was an embarrassing event for the Russian army that occurred at a time of maximum alert in its southern regions near the border with Ukraine.
Over the New Year period, Russia carried out some of its most intense missile and drone attacks against Ukraine since the invasion began in February 2022.
