Ukrainian troops have struck 2 key bridges in Russia's Kursk area. Could it mean they plan to stay?

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry Press Office, a strategically important bridge over the river Seym is destroyed by Ukrainian troops as they continue their incursion into the Kursk region, Russia, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (Ukrainian Defence Ministry Press Office via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine has destroyed a key bridge in Russia's Kursk region and struck a second one nearby, less than two weeks into its stunning cross-border incursion, disrupting Russian supply routes and possibly signaling that its troops are planning to dig in.

Russia’s pro-Kremlin military bloggers have acknowledged that the destruction of the first bridge, which spanned 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 in the area. Ukraine’s air force chief, Lt. Mykola Oleshchuk, on Friday released a video of a Ukrainian airstrike that split the bridge in two.

Less than two days later, Ukrainian troops hit a second bridge in Russia, according to Oleshchuk and the Russian regional governor, Alexei Smirnov.

As of Sunday morning, there were no official reports on where exactly the second bridge attack took place. Russian Telegram channels claimed that a second bridge over the Seim, in the village of Zvannoe, had been struck.

According to Russia’s Mash news site, the attacks left the area with just one intact bridge. The Associated Press could not immediately verify these claims, but if confirmed, the Ukrainian strikes would further complicate Moscow's attempts to replenish its forces in Kursk and evacuate civilians.

Glushkovo lies some 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) north of the Ukrainian border, and approximately 16 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of the main battle zone in Kursk. Zvannoe is located a further eight kilometres (five miles) northeast.

Ukraine may try to hold ground seized in Russia's Kursk

Kyiv has been tight-lipped about the planned scope and goals of its lightning push into Russia, the largest attack on the country since World War II, which took the Kremlin by surprise and saw scores of villages and hundreds of prisoners fall into Ukrainian hands.

The Ukrainians drove deep into the Kursk region in several directions, facing little resistance and sowing chaos and panic. Ukraine’s Commander in Chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, claimed last week that his forces had advanced across 1,000 square kilometres (390 square miles) of the Kursk region, although it was not possible to independently verify what exactly Ukrainian forces effectively control.

But the strikes on bridges, apparently aimed at stymieing a Russian counterpush in Kursk, could mean that Kyiv intends to seek a foothold in the region — or at least signal to Moscow that it plans to do so.

Analysts say that although Ukraine could try to consolidate its gains within Russia, it would be a risky maneuver given Kyiv’s limited resources, because supply lines extending deep into Kursk would be vulnerable to Russian strikes.

The incursion has already boosted Ukraine’s morale, sapped by a failed counteroffensive last summer and months of grinding Russian gains in the eastern Donbas region, and proven its ability to seize the initiative.

It resembled Ukraine’s lightning operation from September 2022, led by Syrskyi, in which its forces reclaimed control of the northeastern Kharkiv region after taking advantage of Russian manpower shortages and a lack of field fortifications.

Zelenskyy seeks permission to strike deeper into Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy late on Saturday urged Kyiv’s allies to lift the remaining restrictions on using Western weapons to strike targets deeper in Russia, including in Kursk, saying that his troops could deprive Moscow “of any ability to advance and cause destruction” if granted sufficient long-range capabilities.

“It is crucial that our partners remove barriers that hinder us from weakening Russian positions in the way this war demands. … The bravery of our soldiers and the resilience of our combat brigades compensate for the lack of essential decisions from our partners,” Zelenskyy said in a post on the social platform X.

Russia's Foreign Ministry and pro-Kremlin bloggers have alleged that U.S.-made HIMARS launchers have been used to destroy bridges on the Seim. These claims could not be independently verified.

Ukraine’s leaders have repeatedly sought authorization for long-range strikes on Russian air bases and other infrastructure used to pummel Ukraine’s energy facilities and other civilian targets, including with retrofitted Soviet-era “glide bombs” that have laid waste to Ukraine’s industrial east in recent months.

Moscow also appears to have dialed up attacks on Kyiv, targeting it with ballistic missiles for a third time this month early on Sunday, according to the head of the municipal military administration. Serhii Popko said in a Telegram post that the “almost identical” August strikes on the capital “most likely used” KN-23 missiles supplied by North Korea.

A further attempt to target Kyiv followed around 7 a.m, Popko said, this time launching Iskander cruise missiles. He said Ukrainian air defenses struck down all targets fired in both attacks on the city on Sunday morning.

Fears mount for Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

In a separate development, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said the safety situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is deteriorating following reports from its team of a nearby drone strike.

Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued a statement Saturday evening calling for “maximum restraint from all sides” after an IAEA team stationed inside the plant reported that an explosive carried by a drone detonated just outside the plant's protected area.

According to Grossi's statement, the impact site was “close to the essential water sprinkle ponds” and about 100 metres from the only power line supplying the plant. The statement added that the IAEA team at the plant has reported intense military activity in the surrounding area in the past week, including near the plant.

Kyiv and Moscow have traded blame for a string of attacks in the vicinity of the power plant since it was captured by Russian forces after the full-scale invasion, including a fire at the facility last weekend. Grossi's statement said the blaze had caused “considerable damage,” but posed no immediate danger to nuclear safety.

Ukraine has repeatedly alleged that Russia plans to stage an attack and blame Ukrainian forces. Last summer, Zelenskyy warned of possible explosives he said Moscow may have planted on the plant's roof to blackmail Ukraine.