Two bridges have collapsed in Russia’s western regions bordering Ukraine, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, authorities said.
It was not clear on Sunday morning whether the two incidents — which both involved trains — in neighboring Bryansk and Kursk were related, or what exactly caused the separate collapses.
Russia’s Investigative Committee described both incidents as being caused by explosions and has labeled them “terrorist” acts, state media reported.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, part of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, dismissed Russia’s allegation, saying: “Once again, there is a temptation to portray us as a ‘terrorist country’ in order to avoid dialogue.”
“It seems that the Kremlin is preparing the ground for the collapse of the negotiations with a smear attack on Ukraine in the international media,” he said.
At least seven people were killed in Bryansk when a road bridge gave way onto a passenger train late Saturday, with railway authorities citing “illegal interference.”
The bridge came down in the region’s Vygonichi district, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Ukrainian border, crushing the moving train and injuring at least 66 people, including three children, Russian authorities reported.
Bryansk’s regional governor Alexander Bogomaz blamed the collapse in his region on an explosion, saying the bridge had been “blown up,” according to state media.
Bogomaz said on Telegram that 44 people had been hospitalized, with three in serious condition, including a child. The train was carrying 388 passengers.
Among those killed in the incident was the train’s engineer, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported.
The train was traveling from the town of Klimov to the capital, Moscow, when it was hit by the debris from the bridge and derailed, according to RIA.
Images of the wreckage from the Moscow interregional transport prosecutor’s office show fallen earth, debris and concrete on top of what appears to be the passenger train, and derailed carriages as emergency services attend the scene.
Moscow Railway said the collapse was caused by “illegal interference in transport operations,” without providing further details.
Passengers were evacuated from the wreckage and were taken to a temporary accommodation center at a nearby station, according to TASS.
Railway workers later discovered damage to another section of railway track also in Bryansk region, Bogomaz said, adding that there were no casualties.
In another incident overnight into Sunday, a bridge collapsed in Russia’s Kursk region – which also borders Ukraine – as a freight train was passing over it, injuring one of the drivers, according to the acting governor of the region.
“Part of the train collapsed onto a highway that was under the bridge,” acting governor Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram. The incident caused the train to catch fire and emergency service personnel worked to extinguish the blaze, he added.
Putin received updates about the two incidents throughout the night from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and Russia’s emergencies ministry, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Sunday, according to state media.
State media also reported that the Russian leader had discussed the incidents on the phone with Bogomaz and the head of Russian Railways, Oleg Belozerov.
In a third incident on Saturday night, a Russian military freight train was blown up near the occupied city of Melitopol in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
“As a result of the explosion, the train with fuel tanks and freight cars derailed on the railway track,” the intelligence service said.
The freight train was moving towards Russian-occupied Crimea via a “key logistical artery” often used by Russian forces, the authority added.
Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has responded to Russian aggression by launching attacks using drones, artillery and troops into the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions. Pro-Ukrainian agents and sympathizers inside Russia have also carried out acts of sabotage against Russian targets.
In 2023, a fire that ripped through a train as it traveled along a strategic rail tunnel in eastern Russia was attributed to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), according to a Ukrainian defense source.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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