Russia mistakenly drops X-59 missile on Belgorod

Russia has mistakenly dropped a missile on its own territory near to the Ukraine border, marking the latest self-bombing incident in the ongoing war.

An X-59 missile was discovered in a field near the village of Krasnoye in Russia’s Belgorod region on April 19, Astra reported on its Telegram channel on Monday. “The military had to destroy it on the spot. There was no damage [caused] or victims,” the independent Russian outlet said.

Newsweek couldn’t independently verify the report and has contacted Russia’s Defense Ministry by email for additional comment. The Kremlin hasn’t commented on the latest incident reported in Belgorod.

Belgorod is located near the Ukrainian border and houses several Russian military bases and training grounds. The region has been rocked by explosions throughout Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with local authorities regularly reporting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the area.

There have been numerous incidents reported this year that involved Russia’s military accidentally dropping munitions and missiles on its own territory. Astra said that, in March and April alone, Moscow forces have mistakenly dropped at least 21 aerial bombs from its aircraft on Russian soil or on occupied territories of Ukraine.

The publication added that Russian authorities tend to cover up the incidents, saying that there was “an abnormal discharge of ammunition.” Moscow has also said there have been emergency releases of aviation munitions.

“There are no exact answers [for] why this happens,” Astra said.

On Jan. 27, Russia accidentally dropped Sovietdesigned FAB aerial bombs on Belgorod twice, Astra said. They didn’t detonate or cause any casualties, and were defused the next day.

Days earlier, on Jan. 21, the outlet said that another FAB aerial bomb was dropped on one of its own dams in Belgorod.

And, on Jan. 13, Russia dropped Kalibr missiles in the Krasnodar area, located in the North Caucasus region in southern Russia, twice in a single day.

The first Russian Kalibr missile fell in the region between the villages of Pavlovskaya and Atamanskaya in the morning, and the second came down in a field during the evening, causing no casualties or damage, Astra reported. The outlet cited sources in the region’s emergency services, Russian military analyst Ian Matveev, and analysts from the Conflict Intelligence Team.