Kyiv destroys key bridge as troops fortify hold on Kursk

Ukraine's invading forces in the Russian region of Kursk have destroyed a key bridge and supply route for Moscow, as reporters described a "trail of destruction" left in the wake of Kyiv's incursion.

- HOLLY BANCROFT, ANDY GREGORY

Some 12 days into the largest invasion of Russia since the Second World War, Kyiv's troops are strengthening their positions in the Kursk region, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday.

Artillery fire has blown chunks out of a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin that stands in the town of Sudzha, which is now occupied by Ukrainian forces. Buildings were pockmarked with bullet holes and the streets, which were strewn with debris, were mainly empty as residents retreated to basements.

Journalists who entered the newly occupied Russian territory on Friday reported that Ukrainian troops have left a "trail of destruction" in their wake.

Videos shared on social media showed the road bridge over the Seym river collapsing, cutting off part of the local district as Ukrainian troops seek to shore up their new foothold inside the country. Russian military bloggers said the destruction of the bridge would complicate Russian ground lines of communication.

Last night, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog issued a warning over what he described as yet another "escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which was seized by Russia in the first days of its full-scale invasion.