Four Russian officials wounded by Ukrainian mine
Four local officials have been injured after their vehicle was blown up by a Ukrainian mine in Russia’s Kursk Region, Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein has said.
The blast took place on Friday morning in central Rylsk, a town roughly 25 km from the Ukrainian border. The explosive device appeared to have been detonated remotely when the district administration vehicle was passing through the area.
Rylsk District head Vladimir Kovalchuk was inside the car and suffered blast injuries and shrapnel wounds to his legs. The driver, Sergey Besedin, head of the district’s administrative support department, sustained a non-penetrating abdominal wound and shrapnel injuries to his thigh.
Two other administration employees standing on the steps of a nearby building were also injured by the blast and shrapnel. They were taken to a hospital with acoustic trauma and wounds to their arms and legs.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a terrorism case over the attack, stating that the explosive device was planted remotely by Ukrainian forces using drones.
The area was cordoned off after the blast, with sappers working at the scene. Residents have been urged to stay away from suspicious objects and report them to emergency services.
The incident follows a string of similar attacks in Rylsk. On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones reportedly scattered explosive devices on two city squares. A bomb technician was killed while trying to defuse one of them, and a police officer was also injured.
Khinshtein described the situation in the town as tense and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from roadsides, and not touch unfamiliar objects.
A rise in drone-dropped mines has also been reported on roads in Russia’s Donbass, Novorossiya, and other border regions. Several civilian vehicles have been blown up in recent weeks, with multiple deaths reported.
President Vladimir Putin said last week that Kiev’s attacks on civilians are aimed at intimidating the Russian population, undermining public confidence, and pressuring Moscow into halting its advance on the front line.
He said such attacks would not affect the battlefield situation or stop Russian forces from pursuing their objectives.
