Ukraine claimed responsibility for the railway bridge blast in southwest Russia stating that it was being used by Moscow to transport “military cargo”.
Kyiv on Monday (March 4) blew up the bridge in Russia’s southwestern Samara region which is latest in the string of blasts targeting Russia’s rail network which Ukraine says is used by Moscow to move troops and equipment for its invasion.
“A railway bridge over the Chapaevka River in Russia’s Samara region was blown up. On 4 March 2024, at around 6:00 am (0200 GMT), the bridge was damaged by blowing up its support structures,” Ukraine’s military intelligence said.
Russia was transporting ammunition from a plant in the town of Chapayevsk via the railway line, it said.
“Given the nature of the damage to the railway bridge, its use will not be possible for a long time,” it added.
Earlier, Russia’s railway operator announced that “an intervention by non-authorised persons” had caused the explosion, however, it said that no one was injured.
“Rail traffic is suspended for the moment at this section,” it said.
“An explosive device damaged a pillar on a rail bridge” over the Chapaevka river, Russia’s official TASS agency quoted a source in the rescue services as saying.
Russian drone strike kills 10 in Ukrainian city of Odesa
Russian drone strike on an apartment block in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa killed at least 10 people.
The deceased victims also included a four-month-old baby and a two-year-old, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Sunday was declared a day of mourning in Odesa. “Today, Odesa and the region are mourning the victims of the Russian attack,” said the Ukrainian regional official. He added, “It is a great pain not only for the Odesa region, but for the whole of Ukraine.”
Zelensky calls for Western air defence systems
Zelensky, on Saturday, urged Western countries to rapidly deliver more air-defence systems following a barrage of Russian strikes in recent days.
Overnight attacks, between Friday and Saturday, on frontline regions of Kharkiv in the northeast and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south killed another three people, reported AFP citing Ukrainian officials.
“We need more air defences from our partners. We need to strengthen the Ukrainian air shield to add more protection for our people from Russian terror,” said the Ukrainian president, in a post on social media.
He added, “More air-defence systems and more missiles for air-defence systems save lives.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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