Media: Russian jets continue to accidentally drop more bombs on own territory

Russian military aircraft have again accidentally dropped aerial bombs on Russia’s own territory, with two new incidents in the Belgorod region at the end of January and beginning of February, according to local sources cited by ASTRA. 

On January 30, a FAB-500 bomb was discovered near the village of Bogoslovka in the Gubkinsky urban district. On February 1, another bomb — a FAB-250 — fell near the village of Neklyudovo in the Shebekinsky district. No casualties were reported in either case.

Citing sources in the region’s emergency services, ASTRA said the incidents mark at least the eighth time since the start of 2026 that Russian aircraft have dropped aerial bombs on Russian territory.

The publication previously calculated that in 2025, at least 143 aerial bombs were dropped on Russian and Russian-occupied territories, while in 2024 at least 165 similar incidents were recorded.

According to ASTRA, the Russian military began equipping Soviet-era FAB bombs with UMPC glide modules to counter Ukrainian air defence systems. The modernisation adds deployable wings and satellite guidance, enabling aircraft to release the munitions without entering Ukrainian airspace.

However, technical shortcomings have reportedly caused some of the upgraded bombs to miss their intended targets and fall inside Russian territory instead. ASTRA also alleged that authorities rarely publicise such incidents and, in cases involving civilian casualties, have attributed explosions to Ukrainian attacks.

In January 2026, the Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which is considered close to the Russian Armed Forces, acknowledged that Russian bombs regularly fall within the Belgorod region and offered its own explanations for the recurring incidents.

By Sabina Mammadli