At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when two bridges were blown up in separate Russian regions near the Ukrainian border late Saturday night, Russian authorities said, in incidents that come just ahead of planned peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.

In the first incident, a highway bridge collapsed onto a passing passenger train in the Bryansk region at 10:50 p.m. local time, as it was en route to Moscow with 388 passengers on board.

Hours later, in the neighbouring Kursk region, a railway bridge was destroyed, sending parts of a freight train crashing onto a road below.

A views shows a damaged freight train at the scene following a railway bridge collapse in the Kursk region, Russia, June 1, 2025. Moscow Interregional Transport Prosecutor’s Office/Handout via REUTERS

In Bryansk, dramatic video footage and social media images captured the chaos as panicked passengers clambered from derailed train cars in the dark. Some carriages were crushed under concrete from the collapsed bridge, while others lay mangled beside the tracks.

Specialists of emergency services gather near a destroyed carriage at the scene, after a road bridge collapsed onto railway tracks derailing an approaching train in the Bryansk region, Russia, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

“The bridge was blown up while the Klimovo–Moscow train was passing through,” regional governor Alexander Bogomaz told Russian state television.

Specialists of emergency services gather near a destroyed carriage at the scene, after a road bridge collapsed onto railway tracks derailing an approaching train in the Bryansk region, Russia, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer

Local investigators said 69 people had been injured, in addition to the seven confirmed fatalities.

The regions of Bryansk and Kursk have frequently come under attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow regularly accuses Kyiv of targeting civilian infrastructure, an allegation Ukraine routinely denies — and likewise accuses Russia of similar attacks.

There has been no official response from Ukrainian authorities regarding the latest incidents.

The explosions occurred just a day before the United States is pushing for direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia to take place in Istanbul. Washington has said it believes more than 1.2 million people have been killed or injured since the start of the war.

While Russia has expressed interest in participating in talks, Ukraine has not yet committed, stating it needs to first review any formal proposals from Moscow. Meanwhile, a senior U.S. senator warned that Russia could face a fresh wave of sanctions if it undermines efforts for a negotiated resolution.