Russian pontoon bridges destroyed by Ukraine in Kursk: Videos

Ukrainian forces have reportedly destroyed another Russian pontoon bridge in the Kursk region, according to recently released videos circulating on social media.

Video footage showed a Ukrainian plane ramming a pontoon bridge over the Seym River, and the Telegram channel Shrike News reported that Ukrainian forces had destroyed nine of nine known pontoon crossings.

The attacks, which appeared to use High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), came after Ukrainian forces destroyed at least two of the three bridges over the Seym River and several pontoon bridges in separate incidents. The bridges served as important supply routes for Russian forces.

Conflict on the front lines in Russia has intensified amid Ukraine's ongoing Kursk offensive. This cross-border attack, launched by Kyiv on August 6 and catching Russian forces by surprise, further escalated clashes between the fronts and Ukraine.

This offensive is the first capture of Russian territory by foreign troops since World War II. Ukraine claims to have captured more territory in the Kursk region in just a few days than Russia has captured in Ukraine since the beginning of the year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in August that Ukraine controls at least 80 settlements in Kursk.

Ukraine has said it does not want to keep the area it controls around Kursk, but hopes to cut off Russian logistics supporting the war effort elsewhere along the front line and protect its territory from highly destructive air strikes.

Kyiv's attacks focused mainly on the town of Sudzha, which Ukraine completely captured last week, and on the settlement of Korenovo, northwest of Sudzha. Glushkovo and Zvannoye are located southwest of Korenovo, closer to the Ukrainian border.

General Christopher Cavoli, NATO Supreme Commander in Europe, recently commented on the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk and criticized Russia's response.

“Russia is still assembling its response to the invasion of Ukraine. So far, it has been a pretty slow and disjointed response,” he said during a Council on Foreign Relations event.

“Russia does not determine who has authority,” he continued, adding: “The Defense Ministry is responsible for military operations in Ukraine, but not those in Russia, right?”

Newsweek has asked the defense ministries of Russia and Ukraine for comment via email.

Last week, Ukraine stopped the Russian offensive in Pokrovsk and regained control of part of the Ukrainian city of New York, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

“Over the past six days, the enemy has not advanced a single meter towards Pokrovsk,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told CNN on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Russia made great strides in the Donetsk region in August, gaining 93 square miles, an exponential increase compared to previous average gains this year, as Newsweek previously reported – with 21 square miles of progress recorded in recent months.