Officials from the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation are investigating an incident involving paratroopers from the legendary Pskov airborne division accidentally firing on a shopping center in the Northwestern Russian city of Pskov on Thursday.
The incident with an accidental shot from a cannon in one of the Pskov military units occurred while servicing the latest BMD-4 and weapons in the fleet of military vehicles, the command of the Pskov garrison reported.
“There was an involuntary shot from a 30mm cannon. A metal round without an explosive at the end of its trajectory fell on the outskirts of the city onto an uninhabited building, ” the officials said.
According to the military, no one was injured in the incident. They added that together with law enforcement agencies, they are investigating the accident.
The BMD-4 is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed to transport Russian airborne troops, increasing their mobility, armament and protection of the battlefield. It is armed with the combat module Bakhcha-U, developed by a Tula-based design bureau. It consists of 100 mm and 30 mm guns and a 7.62 mm machinegun.
This armored fighting vehicle is one of the lightest and one of the most heavily armed in its class, possessing a substantial amount of firepower in comparison to its counterparts.