Kursk region: Ukraine destroys important bridge in Russia

Kursk region: Ukraine destroys important bridge in Russia

30 Russian towns on the border with Ukraine are cut off from the rest of the country – because Ukraine destroyed a bridge on the Sejm River.

The Ukrainian Air Force says it has destroyed a strategically important road bridge during its offensive in the Kursk region. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk published a video on an armed forces Telegram channel showing the bombing of a bridge. Experts believe the video is authentic after evaluating the geodata. The structure on the Sejm River in the Glushkovo district lay in ruins.

This means that an important supply route for Russian troops has been destroyed. Russia had also previously reported that the bridge, which had been under fire from Ukrainian forces for days, had been destroyed. According to Russian media, this has cut off more than 30 towns in the border region with Ukraine from the rest of the area.

The Air Force is actively participating in the combat operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, Oleshchuk confirmed. “Ukrainian pilots are carrying out precision strikes against enemy strongholds, accumulations of equipment, and enemy logistics centers and supply routes,” the commander said. “Thanks to the pilots and everyone who ensures the fight of the Air Force!”

Ukraine launches ground offensive in Russia

In its fight against the Russian war of aggression, which has been going on for almost two and a half years, Ukraine has been conducting an unprecedented ground offensive in the Kursk area since August 6. Kiev says it wants to use this to force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war.

Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov reported the destruction of the bridge on Friday evening. According to Russian military bloggers on the Telegram channel “Rybar”, the bridge was first fired at with a US-type Himars multiple rocket launcher and then destroyed by a glide bomb. Two volunteers in a car that had been supposed to bring people to safety were killed in an earlier attack with a “Tochka-U” rocket, it was reported.

Russia criticizes use of Western weapons

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized Ukraine for using Western weapons to destroy civilian infrastructure in the Kursk region. Those responsible for the “inhuman actions” would be punished.

In the course of the Russian attack on Ukraine, countless bridges, energy infrastructure and thousands of civilian objects were destroyed. The damage and the number of victims on the Russian side are still disproportionate to the massive destruction and thousands of dead and injured in Ukraine.

Counterattack to use up Russia’s reserves

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the offensive in Kursk is also about a lasting weakening of the enemy army. Russia’s losses are “very useful” for the defense of Ukraine, he said in his evening video address. “It is about destroying the logistics of the Russian army and using up its reserves,” Zelensky explained. “We must inflict maximum damage on all Russian positions, and that is what we are doing.”

Kursk region: Ukraine bombs strategically important bridge – Moscow rages

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The Washington Post also reported on another advance by Ukraine into Russian territory, namely in the direction of the neighboring region of Belgorod. However, Russian units there were already on standby after the events in the Kursk region, and the Ukrainian attack had already become bogged down in the border area. A state of emergency has been in effect in the Kursk and Belgorod regions for days, and they have also been declared zones for anti-terrorist operations. This led to a significant expansion of the military presence in the region.

“Moscow not ready to negotiate”

The German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, currently sees no chance of peace negotiations in the Ukraine war. “At the moment, the Russian side is not showing any willingness to negotiate, but is insisting on far-reaching preconditions,” said Lambsdorff, who has been ambassador for about a year, in an interview with the “Bonner General-Anzeiger”.

If Russian President Vladimir Putin declares that he is only prepared to hold talks with the Ukrainian side if it first completely withdraws from all areas that he believes Russia has already annexed – including those parts that Russia does not even control militarily – “then it is clear that there is no seriousness behind it,” said Lambsdorff.

Ukrainian advance to Kursk “nasty surprise” for Russia

The work of the German embassy in Moscow is geared towards being present in order to be able to take action should Moscow’s attitude change. “Because one day Russia will also have to realise that it is achieving far less with this war than it initially intended, that it is causing serious international damage and that it is in a war economy that is completely overheated and will not be sustainable.”

The Ukrainian advance into the Russian region of Kursk with ground troops made Russia nervous, said Lambsdorff. For the border guards, the secret service, the military, the civil defense and also the population, it was a nasty surprise that the Ukrainian troops were able to pull off such an operation.

Source: Stern

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