Two bridges collapsed in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine on Saturday night, resulting in a tragic loss of seven lives and injuring dozens more. Russian officials swiftly pointed fingers, alleging deliberate explosions as the cause of these devastating incidents. The collapses occurred amidst uncertainty surrounding a proposed new round of peace talks initiated by Moscow and growing frustration in Washington over the ongoing stalemate between Russia and Ukraine.
The first bridge to collapse was located in the Bryansk region. The incident occurred late Saturday night as a train was crossing, causing the bridge to crash onto the railway tracks below and derailing the train. Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported seven fatalities and 47 hospitalizations in the aftermath. Images and videos circulating online depicted the scene of devastation, with emergency responders working tirelessly to rescue survivors from the wreckage.
Hours later, a second bridge in the Kursk region met a similar fate. This time, a railway bridge above a road collapsed as a freight train was traversing it. According to acting governor Alexander Khinshtein, one train driver suffered leg injuries, while the entire crew received medical attention. He also noted that the locomotive had caught fire before emergency services managed to extinguish the blaze.
The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the events in both Kursk and Bryansk. Russia’s Investigative Committee explicitly stated that both bridge collapses were the result of deliberate explosions, linking the incidents as coordinated acts of sabotage. Moscow Railway initially suggested “illegal interference” as the cause of the Bryansk collapse, but this statement was later removed from their online platforms.
The governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, condemned the Bryansk explosion as an “inhuman act of terror against civilians.” Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov expressed condolences to the victims’ families, stating that “the enemy is capable of vile terror against peaceful people.” Neither governor directly blamed Ukraine, however, and NBC News was unable to independently verify the reports. Ukraine has yet to issue an official statement.
Adding to the already tense situation, Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency reported an explosion that derailed a Russian military train carrying cargo and fuel trucks near Yakymivka in a Russian-controlled area of Zaporizhzhia. While the agency didn’t claim responsibility, Ukraine has previously claimed credit for similar attacks deep inside Russian territory. The timing of these events, alongside Moscow’s ongoing push for peace talks and its demands for Ukraine to cede territory, disarm, and forswear Western military alliances, heightens the geopolitical tensions dramatically.
The conflict has already resulted in a staggering number of casualties on both sides, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers wounded or killed, although precise figures remain unavailable. The loss of civilian life is also deeply concerning, with tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians already perished as a result of the ongoing conflict. The double bridge collapse serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of this war and the uncertainties that lie ahead.
