On November 5th, major Russian media outlets reported that a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone had attacked a residential building in Belgorod, causing damage and fueling claims of escalating “Ukrainian aggression”.
The governor of the region, Alexander Bogomaz, also stated that Russian forces had successfully intercepted another drone attack, reportedly destroying four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) aimed at the region.
However, a recent investigation conducted by the Belgorod-based publication “Pepel” has cast doubt on these claims. “Pepel” analyzed a newly surfaced video of the drone strike on the residential building on Kashtanova Street and revealed a different story. The initial footage, which was released on the Telegram channel “Border Guard from Hell,” showed an edited version of the strike, leading viewers to believe that the drone was Ukrainian.
A more complete video later emerged on the pro-government Telegram channel “Prosto Mikhail,” showing a dark trail left by what appears to be an air defense missile. This additional evidence led “Pepel” journalists to analyze the event further using footage captured by a security camera installed on the neighboring building.
Издание «Пепел» проанализировало новое видео с беспилотником, который 5 ноября попал в многоэтажный дом в Белгороде. На записи виден силуэт БПЛА, который похож на иранский Shahed-136 — Россия запускает эти дроны по Украинеhttps://t.co/vOUes57BZF
Видео: «Пепел» pic.twitter.com/Ws1NVpnun5
— Медиазона (@mediazzzona) November 11, 2024
The footage, published today, shows a silhouette of an Iranian-made Shahed-136, which Russia has been using extensively in its attacks on Ukraine. “Only this attack drone has the distinctive nose section and blunt-ended triangular wings,” wrote “Pepel,” emphasizing that the drone’s appearance matches that of a Russian-operated Shahed, not a Ukrainian UAV as earlier suggested by Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
The findings by “Pepel” highlight what appears to be a case of friendly fire—a Russian Shahed drone “accidentally” striking a residential area within Russia itself.
Despite the growing body of evidence suggesting that the strike was, in fact, the result of a Russian-operated drone, no official comment has been made by Russian authorities retracting the initial claim. The episode adds to a series of instances where misinformation or incomplete reporting has played a role in shaping public perceptions of the ongoing war.
CORRECTION: The story was corrected on November 12 to note that a Shahed-type drone had attacked a residential building in Belgorod