Ukraine Says It Has Damaged The Second Russian Bridge
Ukraine claims to have damaged a second vital bridge in a week as it continues its advance into Russia’s Kursk region.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian military published overhead footage of the bridge hit, which was claimed to be over the Seym River in Zvannoe.
Hours later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated for the first time that the goal of the military operation into Kursk was to establish a “buffer zone” to prevent Russian attacks.
Ukraine is over two weeks into its most serious strike on Russian territory since Moscow initiated its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Minus one more bridge,” Ukrainian Air Force commander Lt Gen Mykola Oleschuk wrote on social media, along with footage of the strike.
Gen. Oleschuk concluded: “Ukrainian Air Force aviation continues to deprive the enemy of logistical capabilities with precision airstrikes, which significantly affects the course of hostilities.”
The footage shows a building cloud of smoke over the bridge, with one portion appearing to be demolished. It is unclear when the strike occurred.
Earlier this week, Ukraine damaged another bridge over the Seym River near Glushkovo.
The Kremlin exploited this bridge to supply its forces.
Earlier, military specialists identified three bridges in the area utilized by Russia to supply its forces, two of which were destroyed or severely damaged, according to Reuters.
Almost two weeks after Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Russia, it is becoming evident that they intend to remain.
President Zelensky announced on Saturday that his soldiers were reinforcing positions in Kursk and advancing deeper into Russia.
In an evening address on Sunday, he added, “Our operation in the Kursk region is still inflicting losses on the Russian army and the Russian state, their defence industry, and their economy.”
He added that “this is more than just defence for Ukraine” and that the goal was to “destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions.”.
He added that this would involve “creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory” in order to prevent further Russian strikes on Ukraine.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, President Zelensky’s adviser, emphasized that Ukraine was not interested in conquering Russia but rather in persuading Russia to enter negotiations.
Moscow has labeled the incursion a significant provocation and promised a “worthy response” in retaliation.
As Ukraine advances into western Russian territory, Russian forces are also making gains in Ukraine’s east, claiming a number of settlements in recent weeks.
The director of the UN’s nuclear inspectorate has warned that the nuclear safety situation at the Zaporizhzhia power plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine is deteriorating as a result of a drone strike near the site’s perimeter.
Rafael Grossi, the president of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he was “extremely concerned” and urged “maximum restraint from all sides” to secure the plant.
According to the agency, the incident had an impact on a road just outside the plant, near vital water sprinkler ponds, and around 100 meters from the only surviving high-voltage cable.
The plant was taken by Russian forces early in the war and has been repeatedly attacked, with both sides blaming each other.
Last week, Kyiv and Moscow swapped accusations when a fire broke out in one of the plant’s cooling towers.
The IAEA did not identify who carried out Saturday’s strike, but a team stationed in Zaporizhzhia claimed the damage appeared to be inflicted by a drone carrying an explosive.
“The team has heard frequent explosions, repetitive heavy machine gun and rifle fire, and artillery at various distances from the plant,” according to a statement released by the government.
The plant has not generated electricity in over two years, and all six reactors have been in a cool shutdown since April.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022 and has been making gradual headway in conquering more land in eastern Ukraine.
However, it was taken aback when Ukrainian troops entered its Kursk region, where they had been fortifying positions for about two weeks.
Thousands of Russians were evacuated from the area.
This is the first time foreign forces have been on Russian land since World War II.
