The terrifying moment a Russian bunker full of soldiers was hit by Ukrainian munitions has been captured on video.
The incident took place in the Belgorod region close to the border with Ukraine, where Russia has several military bases.
The region has come under constant aerial bombardment by Ukrainian drones and missiles, and has also seen a number of incursions by anti-Putin rebels fighting with Kyiv.
The video was shot by a Russian soldier and then distributed to social media channels.
In the footage, soldiers are seen standing around in the bunker, when one of them shouts out “be quiet”.
At that very moment an explosion rocks the bunker sending debris and black smoke into the underground shelter.
In the ensuing darkness, panic breaks out and soldiers can be heard screaming for help.
The Belgorod region is part of Russia’s Western military district and an important logistics centre for the army fighting in Ukraine.
Nine years ago the Kremlin began building a major military base on a 300-hectare site near Valuyki, a small town not far from Soloti.
As part of the original design, nine barracks capable of housing 3,500 troops were supposed to be built.
In addition, military planners intended to build warehouses for rockets, artillery weapons, and other munitions with a total area of over 6,000 square metres.
The documents also stated there would be a large training complex, and a medical centre with 50 beds, which can be expanded in case of a “massive influx of wounded”.
The Russians appear to be constructing a new airfield in the region, according to analysis by the OSINT researcher RedIntelPanda.
It is being built near the village of Alexeyevka, about 70km from the border with Ukraine.
The airstrip is about nine km west of the village, where a logistics centre is located to supply military units in the region.
Work started last year and by April, a base layer or concrete pavement was being laid on the runway.
Using the Sentinel Hub, the researcher determined that the length of the strip was approximately 1,800 metres.
This length is enough to accommodate various types of aircraft, including military transport An-26s or Su-25 attack aircraft, as well as helicopters.
