The incident occurred when the passenger train, bound for Moscow from Klimov, derailed late on Saturday following the collapse of a bridge due to an explosion.

Alexander Bogomaz, the Governor of Bryansk, shared details on Telegram, confirming that the bridge collapse took place in the Vygonichskyi district, leading to the tragic deaths and injuries. "There are seven dead as a result of the collapse of a bridge onto railway tracks," Bogomaz stated. More than 60 passengers sustained injuries, including three children, with one reportedly in critical condition.

The train, carrying 388 passengers, derailed when it was traveling from Klimov to Moscow. Initially, Moscow Railways hinted at interference in transport operations but later removed the statement. Subsequently, Bogomaz confirmed that an explosion had occurred on the bridge at the time of the incident.

Russia's Investigative Committee elaborated that the bridge collapse resulted from a blast at around 10:50 pm (1950) in the Bryansk region. This disaster site is located approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Ukrainian border. So far, Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident.

In a related incident, another bridge in the neighboring Kursk region—also bordering Ukraine—collapsed just hours later. Kursk was notably the site of a Ukrainian incursion into Russia last August. Russian investigators have explicitly classified both incidents as acts of terrorism. Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman for Russia's Investigative Committee, confirmed this characterization via the state news agency RIA Novosti.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the explosions at the two bridges. Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, regions like Bryansk have frequently experienced border shelling, drone strikes, and covert raids attributed to Ukraine.