The cause of the explosion in Vladikavkaz shopping center was the falling debris of a downed UAV

The explosion in the shopping center of Vladikavkaz was caused by falling debris of a downed drone. This was reported by the head of North Ossetia Sergey Menyailo on December 25.

"According to the Ministry of Defense, the explosion and fire in the shopping center of Vladikavkaz was caused by the fall of debris of a downed UAV. The airplane-type drone was shot down by air defense means today at 8:28," he wrote in his Telegram channel.

The version is confirmed by preliminary facts of investigative and operational activities. In addition, the shopping center's surveillance cameras show that the explosion came from outside, Menyailo said.

According to him, explosion technicians are currently looking for fragments of the downed drone, the work of all services at the scene of the emergency continues.

"According to the Defense Ministry, the UAV attack was made on a number of regions of the North Caucasus Federal District," the North Ossetian head also wrote.

Fire in Alania Mall: what is known

A shopping center caught fire in Vladikavkaz after UAV debris fell, one person was killed, preliminary

A major fire in the Alania Mall in Vladikavkaz occurred earlier in the day. The flames engulfed 900 square meters of the building. Preliminarily, one person died and several others were injured. The fire was extinguished.

The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICRF) in RSO-Alania named the probable cause of the fire an explosion of a gas-air mixture. After the emergency services complete their work, investigators and forensic experts will start examining the scene. The North Ossetian Prosecutor's Office is establishing the circumstances of the incident.