An unknown object has struck Belgorod, which is about 50km inside Russia
© vl.com / v_v_demidov
An unknown projectile crashed in the southern outskirts of the Russian city of Belgorod late on Thursday, leaving a large hole in the middle of a street, surrounded by residential buildings.
Footage circulating online shows the aftermath of the impact, which locals likened to an earthquake.
The exact nature of the fallen object was not immediately clear. According to local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, it left a 20-meter crater in the street, and damaged several cars and shattered windows at buildings nearby.
Two civilians were injured in the incident, Gladkov said later in the day. One woman suffered minor bruising, while another one received a head injury and ended up hospitalized.
The shockwave caused by the impact with the road threw a car into the air and on to a nearby one-story building.
CCTV footage circulating online shows the projectile striking the ground and seemingly penetrating deep into it. The object detonated a few moments later, sending a fountain of dirt and pieces of pavement into the air.
The region has been repeatedly subjected to drone and missile attacks, as well as sporadic artillery shelling, by Ukrainian forces since Moscow launched its military offensive, in February of last year.
The attacks have claimed lives of some 30 civilians, Gladkov said earlier in the day during a meeting with local legislators. More than 120 others received various injuries, according to official figures.
