A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the attack on a key bridge in Russia’s Kursk region was likely carried out using the US-made HIMARS rocket system.
“For the first time the Kursk region has been hit by a Western rocket, most likely an American Himal rocket,” Maria Zakharova wrote in Telegram.
“The attack on the bridge over the Seim River in Grushkovsky district resulted in its complete destruction and the deaths of volunteers who were providing assistance to evacuating civilians,” she added.
In a Telegram post, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk shared footage of what appeared to be the attack, writing: “Ukrainian pilots are carrying out precision strikes on enemy positions, equipment concentrations, as well as enemy logistics centers and supply routes.”
Kursk’s acting governor, Alexei Smirnov, confirmed the incident in a separate Telegram post, writing: “As a result of attacks from Ukraine, the road bridge over the Seim river in Grushkovsky district has been destroyed. We are currently in contact with the local administration.”
The bridge was a key part of Russia’s supply route and was actively targeted by Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a nationwide address on Friday that his country’s military was focusing on disrupting Russian military logistics and reserve forces.
“We must inflict maximum damage on all Russian positions, and we are doing that,” he added.
The attack on the bridge was part of a wider cross-border offensive launched by Ukraine last week, a move that surprised both Russia and the West.
Ukraine continues to make inroads into Russia but says it has no interest in “seizing territory.”
“The sooner Russia agrees to the restoration of a just peace, the sooner Ukrainian aggression into Russian territory will stop. You will get that response from Ukraine as long as Putin continues the war,” a Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman told the BBC.
