An explosion on a railway bridge in central Russia’s Samara region on Monday was the result of a Ukrainian guerilla operation, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has announced.
The intelligence agency said that the bridge over the Chapayevka river, not far from the city of Samara on the Volga river, had been “disabled” following an explosion at around 6 am on Monday.
The bridge had been targeted as it was “used by the aggressor state to transport military cargo” including explosives produced at a munitions factory in the nearby city of Chapayevsk, the post continued.
Russian Railways said that five trains had been held up by the explosion, with further delays expected. Local emergency services told state-affiliated news agency Interfax that the explosion had been caused by “illegal interference in the operation of the railway by unauthorised persons”.
While the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said that the damage caused by the explosion would make the bridge unusable for “an extended period”, Russian media reported that though its tracks and fences had been damaged, its concrete structure remained intact.
In December, Ukraine also claimed responsibility for attacks on railway infrastructure in the republic of Buryatia in Russia’s Far East, and Kyiv suggested that its special services would be stepping up attacks on Russia’s military infrastructure as the Russian invasion entered its third year.
The Kremlin has not yet commented on Monday’s incident.
