Ukrainian forces have struck a key bridge in Russia's Kursk region using HIMARS artillery, severing a crucial supply route for Russian troops.
The bridge, located near Glushkovo, lies about 15 miles north of the Ukrainian border and 40 miles west of Sudzha, where Ukraine initiated a cross-border operation last week. According to Russia's foreign ministry, the attack involved Western rockets, likely US-made HIMARS, which destroyed the bridge over the Seym River.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted, "The frontline remains our top priority, especially in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions. Regarding the Kursk region operation, we are fortifying our positions and replenishing the exchange fund for Ukraine. I am grateful to each of our warriors."
The bridge's destruction marks significant Ukrainian advances in the Kursk region over the past ten days. The Kremlin reported that the blast resulted in the deaths of volunteers who were aiding in the evacuation of civilians.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, commented on Telegram, "For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS. As a result of the attack on the bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district, it was completely destroyed, and volunteers assisting in the evacuation of civilians were killed."
Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed on Friday that Kyiv's forces are advancing by 1 to 3 kilometers in some areas of the Kursk region, 11 days after the start of the incursion into Russia.