Two deadly bridge collapses in Russia near Ukraine blamed on deliberate explosions

Two bridges collapsed in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine on Saturday night, killing seven people and injuring dozens, with Russian officials alleging the bridges had been deliberately blown up.

Two bridges collapsed in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine on Saturday night, killing seven people and injuring dozens, with Russian officials alleging the bridges had been deliberately blown up.

The incidents occurred amid uncertainty over whether Kyiv diplomats will participate in a new round of peace talks proposed by Moscow on Monday in Istanbul, and amid growing frustration in Washington over the impasse between Russia and Ukraine.

The first bridge collapsed late Saturday in the Bryansk region, crashing onto railway tracks and derailing an approaching train, Bryansk Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said Sunday morning.

“Unfortunately, there are seven fatalities,” he posted on Telegram, later saying that 47 people had been hospitalized.

Hours later, in Russia’s Kursk region, a railway bridge above a road collapsed while a freight train was crossing it, according to the region’s acting governor, Alexander Khinshtein.