While the agency hasn’t taken responsibility or blamed anyone for the explosion, Ukraine has previously taken credit for various attacks deep within Russian territory.

Sabotage?

Russian officials quickly pointed fingers at Ukraine, asserting it was an act of sabotage intended to disrupt the peace negotiations that the United States is pushing for.

“The Ukrainian special services are certainly behind this,” stated Andrei Kartapolov, the defense committee chairman of Russia’s lower house of parliament, through the SHOT Telegram channel.

“All this is aimed at toughening the position of the Russian Federation and stoking aggression before the negotiations. And also to intimidate people. But they won’t succeed.”

President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the bridge blasts by the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Emergency Ministry throughout the night, the Kremlin said. Putin also spoke to the governor of Bryansk, Alexander Bogomaz.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded the sides make peace, and he has threatened to walk away if they do not – potentially pushing responsibility for supporting Ukraine onto the shoulders of European powers.

But as politicians talk of peace negotiations, the war is heating up, with swarms of drones launched by both Russia and Ukraine and Russian troops advancing at key points along the front in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine has not committed to attending the talks in Turkey, saying it first needed to see Russia’s proposals, while a leading U.S. senator warned Moscow it would be “hit hard” by new U.S. sanctions.