Russian Military Facility Near St. Petersburg Rocked by Explosion, Three Dead

An explosion struck a military commandant’s office in the city of Sertolovo in Russia’s Leningrad region on February 17, causing part of the building to collapse and leaving at least three people dead, according to Russian media and local officials.

According to the Russian outlet Astra on February 17, the blast occurred inside a military facility and led to the partial collapse of the second and third floors of the structure. Astra published photographs showing significant structural damage to the upper levels of the building.

Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed casualties and said emergency services had been instructed to assist military personnel in clearing debris and searching for potential survivors. Russian Telegram channels, cited by multiple local outlets, reported that the explosion took place at approximately 14:20 local time.

According to Astra, at least three servicemen were killed in the incident. Russian Telegram channels initially reported two fatalities and several individuals trapped under rubble, before later stating that the death toll had risen to three.

Some reports claimed one victim was killed after being crushed by a concrete slab, though there has been no independent confirmation of that detail.

Images circulated by Astra show the collapse of parts of the second and third floors, with debris scattered around the building. Emergency response units from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations were reported to be operating at the site. Local media indicated there was a risk of further structural collapse.

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According to open-source data cited by Astra, the damaged facility is associated with the 56th Guards District Training Center of the Leningrad Military District (military unit 71717).

Russian state-affiliated foundation “Leningradsky Rubezh” previously reported the construction of a training center at the site intended to prepare personnel for deployment to the war against Ukraine.

The foundation stated that the center would allow servicemen to acquire training in multiple military specialties, including drone operation and counter-drone defense, before being sent to combat zones.

Earlier, a freight train carrying gasoline derailed in Russia’s Smolensk region after colliding with a truck at a railway crossing, igniting several tank cars and causing a large fire, according to Russian media and the Moscow Railway.

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