Ukrainian Forces destroy key bridge in escalating Kursk offensive
Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) have destroyed a bridge over the Seym River in Glushkovo, Kursk Region. Alexei Smirnov, the interim governor of the region, confirmed the incident on his Telegram channel Friday evening, August 16. "As a result of the strike from Ukraine, the automotive bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovsky district was destroyed," the message reads.
The governor did not specify the means of the attack. According to Telegram channels Baza and Mash, the bridge was hit by missiles from an American HIMARS launcher, causing one of the spans to collapse. Mash reports that the strike has cut off the border area of the Glushkovsky district, including the villages of Tetkino, Popovo-Lezhachi, Volfino, and around 27 other localities.
Later, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk released a video of the airstrike on Seym River bridge in Glushkovsky District.
"The Air Force is actively participating in combat operations in the Kursk direction. Ukrainian pilots are delivering precise strikes on enemy strongholds, equipment concentrations, as well as logistical centers and supply routes," he wrote, expressing gratitude to the pilots and everyone involved in ensuring the combat effectiveness of the air force.
Roman Alekhin, an advisor to Smirnov and a pro-Kremlin blogger, claims that Ukrainian forces are also targeting another bridge over the same river in the village of Zvannoye, located eight kilometers from the district center. Alekhin asserts that the AFU have begun to implement a plan to capture a section of the Glushkovsky district along the Seym River.
According to the news outlet Agentstvo, there are three bridges over the Seym River running through the Glushkovsky district—in Glushkovo, Zvannoye, and the village of Karyzh. "Important Stories" describe these crossings as the main supply route for weapons and provisions for the Russian army in this area. The Ukrainian side had not commented on the possible strike on the bridge in Glushkovo, Kursk Region at the time of publication.
In a Telegram post, blogger Roman Shrike comments that capturing two more bridges would give them control over this area. He had previously articulated the strategy behind targeting the bridge across the Seym. His illustrations show the Seym marked in blue, stretching 70-100 meters wide, with three bridges across it highlighted in red. Given that Ukrainian units are actively operating near Korenovsky, if all three bridges are destroyed, the part of the Kursk Region indicated in white would be cut off from supplies, Shrike noted.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been conducting a large-scale military operation in the Kursk Region since August 6. This marks the first offensive of its kind since Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine began in February 2022.
A counter-terrorist operation was declared in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions on August 9. On August 12, Governor Smirnov stated that over 120,000 people were evacuated from the region and acknowledged Ukraine’s control over 28 localities.
As per data provided by AFU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff meeting, as of August 15, Ukrainian forces had taken control of 82 localities over an area of 1,150 square kilometers, advancing 35 kilometers into Russian territory. Syrskyi also reported that Ukrainian Forces repelled several enemy attacks and continued their offensive actions.