Russia’s foreign ministry has accused Ukraine of using Western-made rockets, likely U.S.-supplied HIMARS, to destroy a bridge over the Seym River in the Kursk region.
According to Russian officials, the strike resulted in the deaths of volunteers who were assisting in the evacuation of civilians from the area.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, made the announcement late on Friday via Telegram, stating, “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 who were assisting the evacuated civilian population were killed.”
The attack is reported to have occurred as Ukraine’s forces continue their offensive in the Kursk region. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday that Kyiv’s troops had advanced between 1 and 3 kilometres (0.6 to 1.9 miles) in some areas over the past 11 days. Since the incursion began on August 6, Ukraine claims to have taken control of 82 settlements across 1,150 square kilometres (440 square miles) in the region.
The Russian government has condemned the West for what it sees as support and encouragement of Ukraine’s first ground offensive on Russian soil, describing Kyiv’s actions as a “terrorist invasion” that would not alter the course of the conflict.
The United States, however, has defended Ukraine’s use of U.S. weaponry, with officials in Washington describing the incursion as a justified protective move. The U.S. maintains that it cannot allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to win the war, which he initiated in February 2022.
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