Russian Soldiers Allegedly Blow Themselves Up On Own Landmine

Russian troops are reported to have sustained injuries after detonating their own landmine near the border with Ukraine, in Russia’s Belgorod Region, according to the Russian Telegram channel ASTRA.

The incident occurred near the village of Novostroevka-Vtoraya in the Belgorod Region on Jan. 30, near the border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region.

The explosion happened during mine laying being carried out by a border guard and Russian soldiers from military unit 53359.

ASTRA said that Russian border guard Vitaly Bondar suffered injuries from the explosion and underwent a toe amputation.

The Russian soldiers, Roman Zvonov and Nikolai Nikolaev, were also injured, with Zvonov receiving shrapnel wounds and Nikolaev also having a toe amputation.

All three individuals were hospitalized in a Belgorod hospital, and ASTRA reported that no civilians were harmed during the explosion.

The Belgorod Region governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that on Jan. 30, the Ukrainian Army allegedly fired two mortar shells on the outskirts of the village of Novostroevka-Vtoraya.

In a Telegram summary of border area news the following day, Gladkov said there were no injuries or damages from the Ukrainian mortars but failed to mention the Russian personnel wounded by the mine they were planting.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the situation.

This isn’t the first time Russians were victims of their own mines. On Dec. 13, 2023, a car exploded also in the border area of the Belgorod Region, as reported by Gladkov.

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The UAZ Patriot car, driven by Igor Borodaenko, the deputy head of the administration of the Krasnoyaruzhsky region and the secretary of the security council of the Krasnoyaruzhsky village, struck a mine, resulting in the amputation of his legs.

Borodaenko later died of his injuries in the hospital.

In the car with Borodaenko were the head of the Vyazovsky village administration and another resident of the Krasnoyaruzhsky district, who both sustained wounds and bruises.

Although it wasn’t acknowledged by Russian officials, it’s likely that the officials ran over a border protection landmine installed by Kremlin troops.