MOSCOW: A gas explosion in an apartment block in Russia’s western city of Tver killed one person early Tuesday, regional authorities said, after earlier blaming a Ukrainian drone attack.
“The preliminary conclusion of experts is that the cause was a household gas explosion,” Tver regional governor Vitaly Korolev said on Telegram.
“Initially, it was mistaken as the result of falling drone debris, since measures to repel an attack were indeed being taken in the region at that time,” he added.
Household fires and gas incidents are not uncommon across Russia.
Moscow’s defence ministry said Ukrainian drones were downed overnight in some 20 different regions, including six over Tver.
Last month, Ukrainian drone debris triggered a fire in an apartment block in Tver, a city some 180km (110 miles) from Moscow, wounding seven people.