Russia Blames Explosions for Bridge Collapses in Kursk and Bryansk

According to Russian authorities, two bridges collapsed due to explosions in the regions of Kursk and Bryansk. Additionally, a railway line in the Unetsa-Zetsa section of the Bryansk region suffered damage. The Investigative Committee of Russia announced on May 1, 2025, that these incidents were caused by explosions. Two bridges collapsed in different regions bordering Ukraine, derailing trains and resulting in at least seven deaths and 69 injuries. A railway line in the Unetsa-Zetsa section of the Bryansk region also sustained damage, with no casualties reported, according to Russian Railways. “Today at 10:52, during an infrastructure inspection using specialized equipment, railway workers discovered damage to the line in the Unetsa-Zetsa section. No one was injured. The movement of suburban and passenger trains in this section is not being carried out,” stated Moscow Railways, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, via Telegram. Russian President Vladimir Putin received updates overnight from the Federal Security Service and the Ministry of Emergency Situations regarding the train-related incidents in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, as confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Social media images and videos showed passengers attempting to exit damaged carriages during the night. Part of a passenger train appears crushed under a collapsed road bridge, with destroyed carriages lying near the tracks. “The bridge exploded while the Klimovo-Moscow train was passing through with 388 passengers,” said regional governor Alexander Bogomaz on Russian television. Russian regions bordering Ukraine have frequently been targets of Ukrainian attacks since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Both sides accuse each other of targeting civilians, claims both deny. As of now, Ukraine has not commented on the incidents. Ukraine’s military intelligence service HUR reported today that an explosion derailed a Russian military train carrying cargo and tanks near the settlement of Yakimivka, in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region. The service did not claim responsibility or attribute the explosion to any specific source, although Ukraine has previously taken credit for several attacks deep inside Russian territory. Sabotage? Russian politicians quickly blamed Ukraine, stating it was clearly sabotage aimed at disrupting peace talks as the US wants Russia and Ukraine to resume direct negotiations in Istanbul tomorrow, Monday, to discuss a possible end to the war, which Washington says has killed and injured at least 1.2 million people. “It is undoubtedly the work of Ukrainian special services,” said Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the defense committee of the lower house of the Russian parliament, on the SHOT Telegram channel. “All of this aims to harden Russia’s position and fuel hostility before negotiations. And also to terrorize people. But they won’t succeed.”