Railway workers and military personnel thwarted an attempt by separatists to blow up a strategically important railroad bridge across River Dnieper that links the industrial centers of Kremenchug and Kryukov on July 23. The press service of the State Railway Administration (Ukrzaliznytsia) announced this in a statement.

The Kryukovsky Bridge belongs to the Yuzhnaya Railroad, and it is located far from the zone of the government’s “anti-terrorist operation.”

According to the statement, the Yuzhny Railroad’s paramilitary security unit and a canine handler uncovered a foam buoy during visual inspection of a restricted area of the river and the bridge’s supports. "It was attached to a bag containing a device for detonating explosives. Sappers are currently working at the scene,” Ukrzaliznytsia said.

In addition, railroad tracks were blown up 1,210 kilometers into the Kvashino-Uspenskaya stretch of the Donetsk Railroad at about 20:50. Two concrete sleepers and two rails on the even and odd gauges were damaged. The railroad stretch has been closed to trains.

A catenary system on the Kuteynikovo-Ilovaysk railroad stretch was damaged near the Ilovaysk station at about 04:40 on July 24 as a result of shelling. Trains have been suspended.