Russia’s foreign ministry has accused Ukraine of using Western-made rockets, likely U.S.-made HIMARS, to destroy a bridge over the Seym River in the Kursk region, killing volunteers who were assisting with the evacuation of civilians.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, stated on Telegram that the Kursk region had been hit for the first time by Western rocket launchers. She alleged that the attack completely destroyed the bridge in the Glushkovo district, resulting in the deaths of volunteers who were helping to evacuate civilians.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Friday that Kyiv’s forces had advanced between 1 and 3 kilometers in some areas of the Kursk region, 11 days after initiating an incursion into Russia. Kyiv claims to have taken control of 82 settlements spanning an area of 1,150 square kilometers in the region since August 6th.
However, it is important to note that Reuters was unable to independently verify the battlefield accounts from either side.
Russia has accused the West of supporting and encouraging Ukraine’s first ground offensive on Russian territory, calling it a “terrorist invasion” that will not alter the course of the war. The United States, which has stated its opposition to a Russian victory in the war launched in February 2022, currently views the incursion as a defensive measure justifying the use of U.S. weaponry, according to officials in Washington.
