by Temitope Oladeji
03/06/2025
Two separate explosions in western Russia over the weekend caused major rail disruptions and casualties, with authorities launching a criminal investigation into what they have labeled as an act of terrorism.
In the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, a blast on Saturday night caused a road bridge to collapse onto a railway line, derailing a passenger train en route to Moscow.
The bomb blast killed seven people and injured at least 71 others, 44 of whom remain hospitalized, regional governor Alexander Bogomaz confirmed on his Telegram page.
Footage shared on social media showed emergency crews scrambling over the twisted wreckage of the train, with cries for help audible in the background.
The train belonged to Russian Railways, the country’s national rail operator.
Just hours later, in the early morning of Sunday, a second explosion caused a rail bridge in the neighboring Kursk region to collapse, derailing a freight train.
Prodesq media gathered that one of the locomotive drivers sustained leg injuries, and the crew was taken to a hospital, according to Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein.
“Last night in the Zheleznogorsk district, a bridge collapsed while a freight locomotive was passing. Part of the train fell onto the road below,” Khinshtein said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of both incidents throughout the night, the Kremlin reported.
Authorities have not identified who was behind the explosions, but Russia’s Investigative Committee has classified the incidents as acts of terrorism.
A spokeswoman for the committee provided no further details.
Senior Russian lawmakers quickly blamed Ukraine. Andrey Klishas, a member of the ruling United Russia party, described Ukraine as a “terrorist enclave.”
Kyiv has not commented on the incidents but has previously denied involvement in similar attacks.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has experienced numerous sabotage operations targeting its railway infrastructure.
Ukraine has consistently accused Moscow of using rail networks to transport troops and military equipment to the front lines.