In a dramatic turn of events, two bridges in Russian regions adjacent to Ukraine have collapsed, causing the derailment of two trains, according to Russian authorities. Late Saturday, a bridge over a highway in the Briansk region gave way as a train carrying hundreds of passengers approached. The disaster resulted in at least seven fatalities and numerous injuries, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Emergencies and regional officials.

Initially, Russian Railways suggested via Telegram that the Briansk bridge collapse was due to "illegal interference in transport operations," a statement that was later retracted. Briansk's governor, Alexander Bogomaz, attributed the infrastructure failure to an explosion. "The bridge was blown up as the Klimov-Moscow train, with 388 passengers onboard, was passing. Currently, there are seven confirmed deaths," he stated on Russian television. On Telegram, he noted that 47 individuals were hospitalized, including three children, one critically injured.

Andrei Klishas, a member of Russia's upper parliamentary house, directly accused Kiev of the incident, claiming on Telegram that the Briansk event illustrates Ukraine's transformation into a "terrorist enclave." The Russian Telegram channel Baza, known for its security and law enforcement sources, reported without evidence that the Briansk bridge had been deliberately destroyed.

The second collapse occurred in the Kursk region early Sunday, involving a freight train. Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein and Russian Railways reported that "part of the train fell onto a road beneath the bridge." Khinshtein added that the locomotive caught fire, but the blaze was quickly extinguished. One engineer sustained a leg injury and was hospitalized, alongside their crew. Khinshtein shared an image of derailed carriages on a damaged bridge.

Southern Russia has been frequently targeted by Ukrainian attacks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Prominent military blogger Semyon Pegov, under the alias War Gonzo, labeled the Briansk collapse as "sabotage." However, Reuters could not independently verify reports from Baza or Pegov. Ukraine has yet to comment on these incidents.

Since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, cross-border shelling, drone attacks, and covert incursions by Ukraine have persisted in the Briansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations stated on Telegram that efforts to locate and rescue victims in Briansk continued overnight, with around 180 personnel involved. Russian agencies, citing medical sources, reported that the locomotive's driver was among the deceased.

Social media images and videos depicted passengers attempting to help each other from the damaged Briansk train carriages in the dark, while firefighters sought ways to reach them. According to Russian Railways, the train was en route from Klimovo to Moscow when it collided with the collapsed bridge in the Vygonichskyi district of the Briansk region, approximately 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.