The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initially published, and subsequently deleted, a press release on the night of June 1st stating that the collapse of bridges in the Bryansk and Kursk regions occurred due to "sabotage" (or "explosive device"). This change in wording in the official statements of the agency raises questions about the interpretation of the incidents' causes and indicates a shift in the official version of events.
Initial reports, which were circulated, indicated that the Russian Investigative Committee had initially confirmed "sabotage" as the cause of the bridge destruction. Specifically, in the Bryansk region, where on May 31st at approximately 10:50 PM local time, a road bridge collapsed over the railway section Vyhonichi – Pilshyne, with debris falling onto a passing passenger train, the first press release from the Russian Investigative Committee clearly mentioned "sabotage" as the cause. According to preliminary data, seven people died as a result of the bridge collapse onto the railway tracks in the Bryansk region, and 47 people, including three children, are hospitalized.
A similar situation occurred with the incident in the Kursk region, which happened around 3 AM on June 1st in the Zheleznogorsk district. Initially, the Russian Investigative Committee stated that there, "the sabotage of a railway bridge led to a cargo train falling onto a highway." According to information provided by Russian media, explosives might have been placed directly into the bridge structure, leading to the collapse of a span and the fall of part of the train. As a result, according to official data, the train driver and two of his assistants were injured.
However, approximately an hour after the initial reports were published, the Russian Investigative Committee deleted these posts from its official resources and published new ones where the word "sabotage" was completely excluded. In the new version of the press release regarding the incident in the Bryansk region, it is now stated that "the structure collapsed," and concerning the Kursk region, it is stated that "a railway composition fell from a damaged bridge onto a highway."
These official changes in the rhetoric of the Russian Investigative Committee raise questions, as they contrast with the initial statements of the local authorities in both regions, who immediately after the incidents openly declared the bridges were damaged by "sabotage." Criminal cases regarding the bridge collapses have been transferred to the Main Investigative Department of the Russian Investigative Committee for further investigation, but the articles under which they are initiated are not disclosed, and official assumptions regarding those involved in the explosions have not yet been made public.
