Russia says Ukraine used Western rockets to destroy bridge in Kursk region

Kyiv has claimed to have taken control of 82 settlements over an area of 1,150sq/km in the region since Aug. 6.

A Ukrainian soldier walks past at a city centre in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. This image was approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry before publication. (AP Photo)

Russia's foreign ministry said Ukraine had used Western rockets, likely US-made HIMARS, to destroy a bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region, killing volunteers trying to evacuate civilians.

"For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said late on Friday on the Telegram messaging app.