Two bridges have collapsed in Russian regions that border Ukraine, including one that landed on a passenger train in the Bryansk Oblast, killing seven people and wounding dozens more.
Local rail authorities in Bryansk said the derailment was caused by “illegal interference,” and Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz blamed it on an explosion, saying the bridge had been “blown up.”
In the Kursk Oblast, a bridge collapsed while a freight train was passing over it. Kursk’s acting governor said part of the train fell onto the road under the bridge, injuring one of the train drivers.
Russian authorities are investigating the two incidents, and while Moscow hasn’t made any official accusations, a Russian senator blamed Ukraine. “The bridge blow-up and the passenger train derailment in the Bryansk Region show that Ukraine is governed by a group of terrorists,” said Senator Andrey Klishas.
“We should respond by establishing a buffer zone, large enough to prevent any terrorist infiltration into our country further down the road. And the land that is still called Ukraine should be completely denazified and demilitarized, with the state being reset,” Klishas added.
Ukraine’s intelligence services have a history of conducting sabotage attacks on infrastructure inside Russian territory. The most notable sabotage attacks were the bombings of the Kerch bridge, which connects the Russian mainland to Crimea.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched a major drone attack inside Russia on Sunday that targeted airfields deep inside Russian territory. The attack occurred ahead of a second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials, which is set to be held in Istanbul on Monday.
