A Russian investigator announced on Monday that Ukraine had damaged a third bridge spanning the Seym River in Russia’s Kursk region, adding to the growing list of infrastructure targets hit in a region witnessing fierce fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces. The investigator, in a video statement posted on the Telegram channel of prominent Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov, stated that the bridge was damaged on Sunday, August 18, as a result of targeted rocket and artillery strikes aimed at residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the village of Karyzh.
This incident marks the third bridge in the area to be struck by Ukrainian forces in recent days, highlighting Ukraine’s focused effort to disrupt Russian logistical capabilities. On Friday, the Russian foreign ministry accused Ukraine of using Western-supplied rockets, potentially HIMARS systems provided by the United States, to destroy a bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district. A separate video statement posted on Solovyov’s Telegram channel on Sunday confirmed the damage to a second bridge near the village of Zvannoe, again attributed to HIMARS rockets. Ukraine’s air force commander claimed responsibility for the destruction of this second bridge, asserting that it would limit the supply capacity of a Russian contingent resisting the Ukrainian advance.
Military analysts have pointed out that these three bridges are crucial for Russia’s supply chain in the region where Ukrainian troops are pushing a counteroffensive. Yuri Podolyaka, a prominent pro-Russian military blogger, speculated on Sunday that Ukraine might attempt to seize control of another strategic bridge over the Psyol River in the coming days. The ongoing battles in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have achieved significant gains against the Russian military since August 6, underscore the strategic importance of infrastructure in modern warfare. These bridge attacks highlight Ukraine’s commitment to disrupting Russian supply lines and hindering their ability to sustain their operations.
