The bomb left a 20m (60ft) crater, and a nearby shop was damaged when the explosion blew a car onto its roof.
Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the authorities ordered the evacuation of the affected nine-story flats as a precaution.
He said three people were injured, and several buildings were damaged.
Videos posted on social media showed the explosion’s impact, with a vehicle being lifted onto the roof of a supermarket, causing traffic to flow along Prospect Vatutina in the city centre.
In a brief statement, the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that one of its Su-34 fighter bombers “accidentally fired anti-aircraft ordnance” on Thursday at 22:15 local time (19:15 GMT).
It was a bureaucratic way that the jet mistakenly fired a weapon. It doesn’t specify which.
The bomb exploded at the junction of two streets near the city centre and next to residential buildings.
According to the governor, two women have been treated at the hospital. But the consequences could be far worse if Russian bombers strike a busy residential district.
On social media, he said, “Thank God no one was killed.
The CCTV footage of the incident suggests that the residents had a lucky escape.
The video shows a series of vehicles crossing a crossroad before an object lands on the ground nearby.
No immediate explosions. The ordnance detonated about 18 seconds later, blowing up a section of road, catching a passing car and sending a parked car flying through the air before landing on a supermarket roof.
Even though the Russian military admitted “an accident,” it suggests that officials here do not believe that the incident, which the Kremlin still calls a “special military operation,” will hurt Russian public opinion.
Wars and conflicts often result in accidents and some devastating consequences. At least 13 people were killed last October when another Sukhoi fighter jet crashed in Yesk, another Su-34.
The military said they have launched an investigation into the incident. Quoting a former military pilot, the pro-government news site Moskovsky Komsomolets suggested, “the [investigation’s] conclusions are unlikely to be released to the public, but will learn lessons”.
By morning, maintenance crews began repairing Belgorod’s busy junction. The mayor said most of the work would occur over the weekend, and the road would resurface on Monday.
The regional governor said that the residents of Belgorod endured a difficult night but will overcome it.
The Russian air force flies over Belgorod, a city with over 370,000 residents, on its way to Ukraine.
It is located just north of Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, and has been under periodic Ukrainian attacks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.
