Ukrainian forces may now have destroyed the third and final bridge over the Seym River in the Kursk region, leaving as many as 800 Russian paratroopers stranded, it has been claimed.
Russian Telegram channel Astra suggested the bridge over the river in the village of Karyzh had been targeted, cutting off troops from supply routes in the Hlushkivskyi district.
Residents of the district were reportedly evacuated by boat on August 18.
If the reports are accurate, the destruction of the last bridge could trap Russian units south of the Seym River, creating an encirclement of roughly 700 square kilometres, according to censor.net.
On August 16, Ukrainian forces destroyed the largest bridge in Hlushkove, swiftly by another bridge in Zvannoye the next day. Commander of Ukraine’s Air Force, Mykola Oleschuk, confirmed the strikes yesterday.
Ukrainian military analyst Vasyl Pekhno told Radio NV that as a result of the triple strike, some 700 to 800 Russian paratroopers could now be trapped within “Ukrainian encirclement”.
Pro-Kremlin military bloggers have already acknowledged that the destruction of the first bridge on the Seim River near the town of Glushkovo will impede deliveries of supplies to Russian forces repelling Ukraine’s incursion, although Moscow could still use pontoons and smaller bridges.
Ukraine’s air force chief, Lt. General Mykola Oleshchuk, on Friday released a video of an airstrike that cut the bridge in two. Less than two days later, Ukrainian troops hit a second bridge in Russia, according to Oleshchuk and Russian regional Governor Alexei Smirnov.
As of yesterday morning, no officials were giving the exact location of the second bridge attack.
However, Russian Telegram channels claimed that a second bridge over the Seym, in the village of Zvannoe, had been struck.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday the daring military incursion into Russia’s Kursk region aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks by Moscow across the border.
It was the first time Mr Zelensky clearly stated the aim of the operation which began on August 6. Previously, he had said the operation aimed to protect communities in the bordering Sumy region from constant shelling.
He explained: “It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions.
“This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region.”
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