Russia claims Ukraine used American missiles in Kursk

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Ukrainian forces had used American-made missiles to destroy a key bridge in the Glushkov district of Russia's Kursk region, killing “volunteers who were helping to evacuate civilians.”

“For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made missile launchers, probably the US HIMARS type,” Zakharova said on Telegram.

This claim of hers cannot be independently verified.

She said the attack, which “destroyed” the bridge over the Seim River, “killed volunteers helping the evacuated civilian population.”

This claim also cannot be independently verified.

According to Russian security officials, part of the district was cut off from the outside world due to the destruction of the bridge, making it difficult to evacuate civilians from the region.

Moscow has often accused Kyiv's Western allies of aiding and abetting Ukraine's first ground offensive into Russian territory, which Russian authorities say led to the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, Radio Free Europe reports.

Kyiv claims to have taken control of 82 settlements covering an area of ​​1,150 square kilometers since its surprise border crossing on August 6.

According to officials in Washington, the United States has so far viewed the invasion as a defensive measure that justifies the use of American weapons.