Ukraine has destroyed yet another bridge in Russia’s Kursk region as part of its ongoing incursion, disrupting Moscow supply lines and likely complicating the Kremlin’s defensive effort.
Local Russian officials claimed Ukraine had hit a second bridge over the Seim on Sunday, after reports that Kyiv troops destroyed a bridge that spanned the Seim River near the Russian town of Glushkovo on Friday.
If true, that would leave just one intact bridge in the region for Moscow to rely on for its military transport and civilian evacuation in the area.
Russian Telegram channels claimed that a second bridge attack also took place in the village of Zvannoe, but the reports have yet to be verified.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry and pro-Kremlin bloggers have alleged that the bridges were destroyed by US-made HIMARS launchers.
The attacks appear to be a method of impeding Russian supply lines and troops from regrouping to take on the successful Ukrainian incursion, now continuing into its 12th day.
The destruction of the Zvannoe bridge would also mean that Ukraine is capable of attacking about 15 miles deep into Russia.
Eliminating the bridges suggests Ukraine might be seeking a foothold in Russia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealing for the first time Sunday that the Kursk incursion’s main goal is to set up “a buffer zone.”
“All this is more than just defense for Ukraine; it is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions,” Zelensky said in a statement about the operation.
“This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region,” he added.
The Ukrainian president touted that the Kursk advancements are “unfolding exactly as we expected,” with Kyiv now establishing a commandant’s office in the occupied town of Sudzha.
Experts had speculated that the incursion’s main goal was to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to divert his forces away from the frontlines to give a respite to Kyiv’s hard-hit soldiers in the Donbas and Donetsk regions.
The surprise attack has allowed Ukrainian troops to capture hundreds of ill-prepared Russian troops, with Kyiv boasting that it has a hold on some 400 square miles of land along the border.
As the troops continue to advance Zelensky is seeking to lift the restrictions placed on the weapons supplied by its allies, including the US, to allow Kyiv to fight deeper and more effectively in Russia.
“It is crucial that our partners remove barriers that hinder us from weakening Russian positions in the way this war demands,” Zelensky said in a statement.
“The bravery of our soldiers and the resilience of our combat brigades compensate for the lack of essential decisions from our partners,” he added.
It was the latest attempt from Ukraine officials seeking authorization for long-rand strikes on Russian bases over the border that have pummeled Ukraine’s energy facilities and civilian structures.
Following the bridge attacks, Moscow fired a cruise missile and bombs on the border city of Sumy, injuring two Ukrainian soldiers and sparking a fire.
Moscow also appears to have increased its attack on Kyiv, targeting the capital with ballistic missiles early on Sunday, according to Serhii Popko, the head of the municipal military administration.
Popko said it was the third such attack this month and “most likely used” KN-23 missiles supplied by North Korea.
The official said a follow up attack on Kyiv was successfully struck down by Ukrainian air defense later on Sunday.
With Post wires
