- In a significant development, Kiev's air force successfully demolished a significant bridge situated in the Kursk region.
Ukraine's Air Force declares the demolition of a strategically vital bridge in their operations in the Kursk region. The Air Force commander, Mykola Oleschuk, shared a video of the bridge bombing on a Telegram channel. Experts, upon analyzing the geospatial data, verify the video's authenticity. The bridge, spanning over the Seim River in the Glushkovo district, now lies in ruins. This collapse disrupts a significant supply line for Russian troops. Previously, Russia had announced that the bridge, under continuous shelling by Ukrainian forces, had been destroyed.
The Air Force is playing an active role in the combat operations of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, Oleschuk confirmed. "Ukrainian pilots are executing precise strikes against enemy strongholds, equipment concentrations, and logistics centers and supply routes of the enemy," the commander stated. "Kudos to the pilots and all those ensuring the Air Force's fight!"
Ukraine initiates an unprecedented ground offensive in the Kursk area on August 6, as part of its defensive battle against the nearly two-and-a-half-year-long Russian invasion. Kyiv aims to prompt Moscow to engage in peace talks, according to their own statements.
Russia condemns the usage of Western weapons on their territory
Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov declared the bridge's destruction on Friday evening. According to Russian military bloggers on the Telegram channel "Rybar", the bridge was first shelled with a US-made multiple rocket launcher Himars and then obliterated by a glide bomb strike. It was reported that two volunteers had already lost their lives in a car during an earlier "Tochka-U" rocket strike while attempting to evacuate civilians.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized Ukraine's use of Western weapons to demolish civilian infrastructure in the Kursk region. She warned that those responsible for these "inhumane actions" would be held accountable.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, numerous bridges, energy infrastructure, and countless civilian objects have been damaged or destroyed. Despite the extensive damage and casualties on the Russian side, they are still far from the magnitude of destruction and thousands of deaths and injuries in Ukraine.
The European Union expresses concern over the destruction of civilian infrastructure in the Kursk region, urging both Ukraine and Russia to prioritize peace and protect civilian lives. The European Union strongly condemns the use of aggressive military actions and destructive weapons in populated areas, advocating for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the ongoing conflict.
