Explosions caused 2 bridges in western Russia to collapse, officials say. 7 people were killed
Explosions caused two bridges to collapse and derailed two trains in western Russia overnight, officials said Sunday, without saying what had caused the blasts. In one of the incidents, seven people were killed and dozens were injured.
The first bridge, in the Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine, collapsed on top of a passenger train on Saturday, causing the casualties. The train's driver was among those killed, state-run Russian Railways said.
Hours later, officials said a second train derailed when the bridge beneath it collapsed in the nearby Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine.
In that collapse, a freight train was thrown off its rails onto the road below as the explosion collapsed the bridge, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said Sunday. The crash sparked a fire, but there were no casualties, he said.
Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's top criminal investigation agency, said in a statement that explosions had caused the two bridges to collapse, but did not give further details. Several hours later, it edited the statement, which was posted on social media, to remove the words 'explosions' but did not provide an explanation.
The committee said that it would be investigating the incidents as potential acts of terrorism.
Rescue workers cleared debris from both sites, while some of those injured were transported to Moscow for treatment. Photos posted by government agencies in Bryansk appeared to show train carriages ripped apart and lying amid fallen concrete from the collapsed bridge. Other footage on social media was apparently taken from inside vehicles on the road that had managed to avoid driving onto the bridge before it collapsed.
Bryansk regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz announced three days of mourning for the victims, starting Monday.
Damage to railway tracks was also found Sunday by inspectors working on the line elsewhere in the Bryansk region, Moscow Railway said in a statement. It did not say whether the damage was linked to the collapsed bridges.
In the past, some officials have accused pro-Ukrainian saboteurs of attacking Russia's railway infrastructure. The details surrounding such incidents, however, are limited and cannot be independently verified.
Ukraine's military intelligence, known by the Ukrainian abbreviation GUR, said Sunday that a Russian military freight train carrying food and fuel had been blown up on its way to Crimea. It did not claim the attack was carried out by GUR or mention the bridge collapses.
The statement said Moscow's key artery with the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region and Crimea has been destroyed.
Russia forces have been pushing into the region of Zaporizhzhia in eastern Ukraine since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia took Crimea and annexed it in 2014.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
UK and allies to announce new sanctions against Russia
Britain and its allies at the Group of Seven (G7) countries are expected to announce further sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, the British government said, stepping up pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. 'We are finalizing a further sanctions package – and I want to work with all of our G7 partners to squeeze Russia's energy revenues and reduce the funds they are able to pour into their illegal war,' Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to say in the announcement. Britain has already sanctioned over 2,300 individuals, entities and ships as part of sanctions against Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. 'We should take this moment to increase economic pressure and show President (Vladimir) Putin it is in his - and Russia's interests - to demonstrate he is serious about peace,' Starmer is expected to say.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
G7 minus Trump rallies behind Ukraine as US blocks statement
Group of Seven leaders minus President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed greater support for Ukraine, as the United States blocked a joint call to pressure Russia, which is ramping up attacks on its neighbor. The US president had been due to meet at the G7 summit with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with whom he has had a volatile relationship, but flew back Monday over the Israel–Iran conflict. Zelenskyy met the remaining leaders at a remote lodge in the Canadian Rockies hours after Russia hit Kyiv with one of the worst bombardments since it invaded in February 2022, killing at least 10 people in the capital. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed Zelenskyy and announced Can$2 billion (about 1.47 billion dollars) of military support, including drones and helicopters, for Ukraine. But the Group of Seven summit was unable to issue a joint statement on Ukraine as 'the Americans wanted to water it down,' a Canadian official said on condition of anonymity. The United States objected to some language, saying it wanted to preserve its role as a mediator with President Vladimir Putin, the official said. Carney dismissed suggestions of friction, saying that all G7 leaders agreed to be 'resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions.' But he admitted that some G7 leaders 'would say above and beyond' what was in the chair's summary that he issued to wrap up the talks in place of a formal statement signed by all leaders. G7 leaders, however, managed unity Monday on a joint statement on the Iran conflict that backed Israel but also called broadly for de-escalation, despite Trump contemplating greater US military involvement. US waits on pressure Carney earlier joined Britain in tightening sanctions on Russia's so-called shadow fleet of ships used to circumvent international sanctions on its oil sales. 'These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin's war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine,' Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. US lawmakers have drafted a package of new sanctions on Russia but Trump has been hesitant to give his support and isolate Putin, to whom he spoke by telephone on the eve of the G7 summit. Trump infamously berated Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on February 28, saying he was ungrateful for US aid, but has since voiced disappointment that Putin has rebuffed a US proposal for at least a temporary ceasefire. Zelenskyy, his voice choked with emotion, told Carney the latest Russian attack was a 'big tragedy' and showed the need for allies' support — while making clear that he still backed Trump-led calls for negotiations. 'It's important for our soldiers to be strong in the battlefield, to stay strong until Russia will be ready for the peace negotiations,' Zelenskyy said. 'We are ready for the peace negotiation — unconditional ceasefire. For this we need pressure.' French President Emmanuel Macron accused his Russian counterpart of exploiting global focus on the Middle East to carry out the deadly attack. 'It shows the complete cynicism of President Putin,' Macron told reporters at the summit. In Washington, the State Department also condemned the Russian strikes and offered condolences to the victims' families. Tough trade talks The G7 — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — was holding its first summit since the re-election of Trump, who openly questions longstanding US alliances. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained to represent the United States at the summit, where discussions have also concentrated on Trump's attempts to radically overhaul the world's trading system. Trump has vowed to slap sweeping tariffs on friends and foes alike on July 9, although he has postponed them once. The US president, speaking to reporters on his way back from the summit, complained that the European Union was not yet offering a 'fair deal' on trade. 'We're either going to make a good deal or they'll just pay whatever we say they will pay,' he said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she still hoped for a negotiated solution and talks were 'intense and demanding.' Trump's negotiators have already sealed a deal with Britain and, outside of the G7, reached an agreement to lower tariffs with rival China.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Russia's security advisor Shoigu meets with North Korea's Kim Jong Un
Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the second time in less than two weeks during a visit to North Korea on Tuesday, Russian news agency Interfax reported. Interfax quoted the Russian Security Council as saying that negotiations between Kim and Shoigu, who until last year was Russia's defense minister, had begun. It did not specify the subject of their talks. Shoigu previously visited Pyongyang and met Kim on March 21 and June 4 this year. Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a strategic partnership treaty last year, including a mutual defense pact. North Korea sent thousands of soldiers late last year to help Russia expel Ukrainian troops from its western Kursk region. Confirming the deployment for the first time in April, Putin and Kim described the North Koreans who had fought for Russia as heroes. British defense intelligence said this week that North Korean troops had suffered more than 6,000 casualties in Kursk. North Korea has not disclosed its losses. The U.S. and South Korea say North Korea has shipped ballistic missiles, anti-tank rockets and millions of rounds of ammunition for Russia to use against Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied weapons transfers. A Reuters investigation in April 2025 found that millions of North Korean shells had made their way to the frontlines in massive shipments by sea and then by train.
