### Twin Bridge Collapses in Russia Bordering Ukraine Kill Seven, Injure Dozens

Two separate bridge collapses in Russia's western regions, close to Ukraine, have resulted in the deaths of at least seven individuals and numerous injuries, authorities reported. Both incidents, involving trains, occurred in the Bryansk and Kursk regions.

In Bryansk, a road bridge collapsed onto a passenger train on Saturday evening. Authorities cited "illegal interference" as the cause. The collapse took place about 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border in the Vygonichi district. The injured include 66 people, among them three children. Bryansk's regional governor, Alexander Bogomaz, attributed the collapse to an explosion, calling it an act of sabotage. Of the 388 passengers on the train, 44 were hospitalized, with three in serious condition, including a child. The train, traveling from Klimov to Moscow, derailed after being struck by debris. Tragically, the train's engineer was among those killed.

Images from the scene display fallen rubble and concrete on top of the passenger train, with derailed carriages as emergency service workers attended. Passengers were evacuated and moved to a temporary accommodation center nearby. Another section of the railway track in Bryansk was found damaged, although there were no additional casualties.

In another incident in the early hours of Sunday, a bridge in Russia's Kursk region collapsed as a freight train passed over it, injuring one driver. The collapse caused part of the train to fall onto a highway below and catch fire. Emergency services worked to put out the blaze, reported acting governor Alexander Khinshtein.

President Vladimir Putin was kept informed of the incidents by the Federal Security Service and the emergencies ministry, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Putin also discussed the matters with Governor Bogomaz and Oleg Belozerov, head of Russian Railways.

Coinciding with these events, a Russian military freight train was reportedly blown up near Melitopol in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday night. According to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, the explosion caused the derailment of a train carrying fuel tanks and freight cars.

Since Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has retaliated with drone, artillery, and troop attacks in the Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions. Acts of sabotage by pro-Ukrainian agents and sympathizers within Russia have also targeted Russian infrastructure.

The Russian Investigative Committee initially labeled both bridge collapses as "terrorist" acts caused by explosions but later revised their statements, saying investigations were ongoing to determine the exact circumstances.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, dismissed Russia's initial claims, suggesting they were intended to frame Ukraine negatively and disrupt peace negotiations. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed that Kyiv would send a delegation for a second round of planned peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is set to lead the Ukrainian delegation.