Explosions Collapsing Two Bridges in Western Russia Kill 7 People: Officials Confirm

Two separate explosions overnight led to the collapse of two railway bridges and the derailment of two trains in western Russia, officials confirmed on Sunday. The incidents occurred in regions bordering Ukraine, significantly disrupting rail traffic and heightening tensions along the already volatile frontier.

The first disaster struck in the Bryansk region late Saturday when a bridge gave way, crashing down atop a passenger train traveling beneath. The collapse resulted in seven fatalities and dozens of injuries, according to authorities, with the train's driver among those killed. Emergency responders worked through the night, pulling survivors from mangled carriages and transporting the most seriously wounded to Moscow for medical treatment. Images from the site depicted twisted metal, shattered rail cars, and vast chunks of concrete scattered across the tracks and roadway below.

Just hours after the Bryansk catastrophe, a similar incident unfolded in the neighboring Kursk region. Here, a freight train was sent plunging off the rails onto a roadway when another bridge collapsed beneath it. According to local officials, the derailed train sparked a fire but, remarkably, this second incident did not result in any reported casualties. Photos circulated online show billowing smoke and the charred wreckage of freight cars lying beside a crumpled bridge span.

Russia’s Investigative Committee initially attributed both bridge collapses to explosions, suggesting potential sabotage. However, the agency later edited its official statement to remove direct reference to explosions, offering no further explanation for the correction. Authorities have since indicated they are treating both events as possible acts of terrorism, though no suspects or motives were immediately identified.

The twin disasters have prompted intensive rescue and investigation efforts. Railway inspectors discovered additional track damage elsewhere in the affected regions on Sunday, though it remains unclear if that damage is related to the bridge collapses. In both Bryansk and Kursk, clean-up crews faced the daunting task of clearing debris, stabilizing damaged structures, and restoring crucial transportation links.

Western Russian officials have periodically blamed pro-Ukrainian saboteurs for attacks on infrastructure, especially since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022. While the precise circumstances of this weekend’s incidents remain murky, the frequency of such disruptions has increased along key supply routes near Ukraine’s border. Independent verification of such claims, however, remains challenging amid tight security and restricted access to the impacted regions.

In a separate development, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency reported on Sunday that a Russian military freight train was destroyed en route to Crimea by what it described as an explosion, further straining Moscow’s vital supply lines into occupied territories. The statement stopped short of claiming responsibility or directly linking the event to the Russian bridge collapses but highlighted Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to disrupt Russian logistics in the region.

The incidents come as Russia intensifies its operations in southern Ukraine, particularly around Zaporizhzhia, while maintaining firm control over Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. The targeting—or mere vulnerability—of critical infrastructure on both sides underscores how railways and bridges have become increasingly strategic—and contested—assets in the ongoing conflict.