Ukraine says a second Russian bridge was destroyed in the strike
Ukraine says it has destroyed a second strategic bridge in less than a week as it continues to raid Russia’s Kursk region.
The Ukrainian military on Sunday released aerial footage of the strike on the bridge – reportedly over the Seym river in Zvannoe.
A few hours later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the aims of the military raid on Kursk included the creation of a “safe haven” to stop Russian attacks.
It has been nearly two weeks since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Remove one more bridge,” Ukrainian military commander Lt Gen Mykola Oleschuk posted on social media with photos of the strike.
Gen Oleschuk added: “Ukrainian Air Force aircraft continue to deprive the enemy of the ability to operate with precision air strikes, which greatly affects the course of the conflict.”
The video shows a huge cloud of smoke rising over the bridge and one of its parts appears to have collapsed. It is not clear when the strike took place.
Earlier this week, Ukraine destroyed another bridge over the Seym rivernear the town of Glushkovo.
That bridge was used by the Kremlin to supply its troops.
Earlier, military analysts identified three bridges in the area used by Russia to supply troops, saying two were destroyed or seriously damaged, Reuters news agency reported.
Almost two weeks after Ukrainian soldiers crossed the border into Russia, it is clear that they plan to stay.
President Zelensky said on his Saturday troops were strengthening positions in Kursk and increased further in Russia.
On Sunday in an evening speech, he said: “Our operations in the Kursk region are still causing losses to the Russian army and the Russian government, their defense industry and their economy.”
He said “this is more than just protecting Ukraine” and said the aim was “to destroy as much Russian military power as possible and to carry out countermeasures”.
This would include “creating a buffer zone in the territory of the aggressor”, he added, in an effort to prevent Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelensky, emphasized that Ukraine was not interested in annexing Russia but wanted to persuade Russia to enter into negotiations.
Moscow called the attack a major provocation and vowed to retaliate with an “appropriate response”.
As Ukraine advances into western Russia, Russian forces have made significant gains in eastern Ukraine and claimed a string of villages in recent weeks.
This comes as the head of the UN nuclear agency has warned that the nuclear security situation at the Zaporizhzhia power plant in Russia-controlled Ukraine is worsening, following a drone strike near the area’s border.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he remained deeply concerned and called for “greater restraint from all sides” to protect the facility.
The center said the impact of the strike was on a road just outside the center – near important irrigation ponds and 100m from the only power line.
The facility was taken over by the Russian military at the beginning of the war and has been attacked several times by both sides who have blamed the other.
Last week, Kyiv and Moscow exchange after a fire broke out in one of the plant’s cooling towers.
The IAEA did not say who carried out Saturday’s strike, but its task force in Zaporizhzhia said the damage appeared to have been caused by an explosive-laden aircraft carrying an explosive device.
“The team has heard regular explosions, heavy gunfire and machine gun fire at different locations from the factory,” the agency said in a statement.
The plant has not produced electricity for more than two years and all six generators have been shut down since April.
Russia launched an all-out invasion of its neighbor in February 2022 and has been making slow progress recently in seizing more territory in eastern Ukraine.
However, there was a shock when Ukrainian troops entered their Kursk base where they had been holding positions for almost two weeks.
Thousands of Russians have been evacuated from the area.
It is the first time that foreign troops have been on Russian soil since the Second World War.
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