An explosion on Saturday night caused a railway bridge to collapse onto a passenger train in Russia’s Bryansk region, roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the Ukrainian border. The incident, which occurred in the Vygonichsky District, has prompted speculation of sabotage amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Initial reports from Russian media indicate that the entire crew of the train may have been killed, and more than 40 people could be injured, though authorities have yet to confirm final casualty numbers. Emergency responders are still working to extract passengers and crew from the wreckage.
While the Russian government has not yet confirmed the cause of the blast, the Bryansk Center for Disaster Medicine reported that the derailment was triggered by an explosion. Moscow Railways, a subsidiary of the state-owned Russian Railways, described the incident as the result of “illegal interference in transport operations.”
The bridge, which collapsed onto the train below, also spanned a section of the A240 Federal Highway used by both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
On May 21st, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) was spotted near the village of Subbotovo, which is located about 3 miles (5 Kilometers) from the location of the blast.
Russian sources confirm that the group, was spotted while retreating back to the Ukrainian border and engaged in a brief firefight with Russian security forces.
Images circulated on social media show the bridge partially crushing the passenger train, as emergency crews and civilians attempt to access the wreckage. In one video reportedly filmed shortly after the collapse, smoke can be seen billowing from underneath the destroyed section of the bridge. It remains unclear whether the smoke was caused by an explosion or by debris and fire from the collapse itself.
Russian authorities, including investigators from multiple federal agencies, have been dispatched to the site. However, a full investigation may not commence until all passengers are safely evacuated.
The explosion comes just two days before Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to resume peace negotiations in Istanbul on Monday. Talks had restarted on May 16 after months of stalemate. It remains unclear how Saturday’s incident might affect the scheduled negotiations—especially if Ukraine is formally implicated in the attack.
The situation is still developing and updates may be added as they become known.