Bridge Collapses in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk Regions Claim Seven Lives, Injure Dozens Amid Suspicions of Sabotage

 Moscow, June 1, 2025, 12:29 PM IST – A tragic series of bridge collapses in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions, both bordering Ukraine, has left seven dead and at least 66 injured, including three children, prompting investigations into potential sabotage amid ongoing regional tensions. The incidents, which occurred overnight between Saturday and Sunday, disrupted both passenger and freight rail services, with authorities pointing to possible “illegal interference” as a contributing factor in at least one of the disasters.

In the Bryansk region, a road bridge collapsed onto a railway line late Saturday, derailing a passenger train en route from Klimovo to Moscow. “There are seven dead as a result of the collapse of a bridge onto railway tracks,” confirmed Alexander Bogomaz, the Bryansk region’s governor. The crash, which took place in the Vygonichskyi district—approximately 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border—also injured 66 individuals, including three children. Social media footage captured the harrowing aftermath, showing rescuers navigating the wreckage of the train, operated by Russian Railways, as screams echoed in the background. An AFP reporter in central Moscow observed ambulances stationed at Kievsky railway station, awaiting the arrival of injured passengers.

In a separate incident in the neighboring Kursk region, a rail bridge collapsed overnight while a freight train was crossing, derailing the train and injuring its crew. “Last night … in the Zheleznogorsk district, a bridge collapsed while a freight locomotive was passing. Part of the train fell onto the road below the bridge,” reported Kursk region governor Alexander Khinshtein. “One of the locomotive drivers suffered leg injuries, and the entire crew was taken to hospital.”

Authorities have not yet determined the exact causes of the collapses, though Moscow Railways initially attributed the Bryansk incident to “illegal interference in the operation of transport” in an online statement, a reference later removed. Russian prosecutors have launched investigations into both incidents, and the country’s emergency ministry confirmed that response teams are actively working at the Bryansk site, with Russian Railways deploying repair trains to restore operations.

The collapses occur against the backdrop of heightened tensions along Russia’s border with Ukraine, a region that has seen frequent cross-border clashes since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Bryansk, Kursk, and neighboring Belgorod have been targets of shelling, drone strikes, and covert raids, with Ukraine often blamed for sabotage attacks on Russia’s extensive rail network. Kyiv has previously stated that such infrastructure is targeted due to its role in transporting troops and weaponry to the Ukrainian frontlines. Russia has reported dozens of such incidents since the onset of the conflict, though Ukraine has not yet commented on these specific bridge collapses.

The incidents underscore the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in Russia’s border regions amid the ongoing conflict, raising questions about the safety of transportation networks in areas prone to sabotage. As investigations proceed, the tragedies in Bryansk and Kursk serve as a grim reminder of the broader human toll of the Russia-Ukraine war, with civilian lives and regional stability hanging in the balance on this somber day of June 1, 2025.