In a devastating series of attacks, at least seven people lost their lives and 69 others were injured when two bridges exploded in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine, just days before scheduled peace talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year conflict. Russian officials confirmed the incidents on Sunday, sending shockwaves through the area.
The first explosion struck a highway bridge over a railway in the Bryansk region at 10:50 p.m. on May 31, exactly as a passenger train carrying 388 people to Moscow was passing underneath. Russian investigators confirmed the blast, describing how part of the bridge collapsed onto the train below. Just four hours later, a second explosion destroyed a railway bridge over a highway in the neighboring Kursk region, showering the road below with debris from a freight train.
The Russian Investigative Committee, responsible for probing serious crimes, linked both incidents, stating unequivocally that the bridges were deliberately blown up. Social media footage from the Bryansk region revealed chaotic scenes of passengers scrambling out of shattered train carriages in near darkness. Wreckage from the crushed train lay scattered across the tracks, with some carriages flattened beneath the collapsed bridge.
Alexander Bogomaz, governor of Bryansk, told Russian television, The bridge was blown up as the Klimovo-Moscow train passed with 388 passengers on board. These attacks come amid a pattern of escalating strikes in Russian border regions since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Both countries have accused each other of targeting civilians, each denying responsibility for attacks that cause widespread suffering.
Ukraine has yet to officially comment on the bridge blasts. The timing is especially significant as the United States is pushing for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to be held in Istanbul, with hopes of negotiating an end to the brutal war that Washington estimates has caused at least 1.2 million casualties.
On June 1, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, reported an explosion that derailed a Russian military train carrying cargo and fuel trucks near Yakymivka in Zaporizhzhia, a region under Russian control. While the agency neither claimed responsibility nor blamed any party, Ukraine has previously launched operations deep inside Russian territory.
Russian officials were quick to point fingers at Ukraine, accusing it of sabotage intended to derail the upcoming peace talks. Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the defense committee in Russia’s lower house of parliament, stated on the SHOT Telegram channel, This is definitely the work of Ukrainian special services. The aim is to harden Russia’s stance and stoke aggression before negotiations, while intimidating the public. But they won’t succeed.
President Vladimir Putin was kept informed throughout the night by the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Emergency Ministry. He also personally spoke with Governor Bogomaz about the situation. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has called for peace between the two nations but warned he could withdraw support if talks fail, potentially shifting the burden of backing Ukraine to European allies.
Despite hopes for diplomacy, the conflict shows no signs of cooling. Both Russia and Ukraine continue launching waves of drone attacks, while Russian forces push forward along critical points in eastern Ukraine’s front lines.
Ukraine remains cautious about attending the Istanbul talks, demanding to see Russia’s proposals first. At the same time, a leading U.S. senator has warned Moscow it could face severe new sanctions if it does not engage in meaningful negotiations.
As violence escalates alongside diplomatic efforts, the fate of peace remains uncertain, shadowed by the destruction and loss wrought by the bridge explosions that serve as a grim reminder of the war’s ongoing toll.
