Ukraine says it hits pontoon bridges in Kursk region with US-made rockets

(Reuters) - Ukrainian forces are using U.S.-manufactured HIMARS rocket systems to destroy pontoon bridges and engineering equipment in Russia's Kursk region, Ukraine's military said on Wednesday, targeting logistics in its major cross-border incursion.

Russian officials have said Ukraine has damaged or destroyed at least three bridges over the Seym River since Kyiv launched a major assault into western Russia on Aug. 6 advancing up to 28-35 kilometres (39.15 miles).

"Where do Russian pontoon bridges 'disappear' in the Kursk region? Operators ... accurately destroy them," Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said on Telegram messenger.

The statement said U.S.-manufactured HIMARS rocket systems were used. It was first official statement from Kyiv that Western weapons are part of the unprecedented offensive.

Washington has made no direct comment regarding the use of U.S.-made weapons in Kursk region, while saying its policies had not changed and that Ukraine was defending itself from Russia's attacks.

While allies have barred Ukraine from conducting long-term strikes with Western weapons inside Russia, they have allowed Kyiv to use them to hit border areas since Russia's new offensive on Kharkiv region this spring.

The Kremlin has described the use of U.S.-made weapons inside its territory as an escalation.

The video posted by special forces showed strikes on several pontoon crossings. At least one of the strikes appeared to be conducted with cluster munitions.

Reuters could not independently verify the statement and video.

The video clip also showed drone strikes on military trucks and other locations described as a munitions warehouse and an electronic warfare complex.

Reuters has been able to verify at least one pontoon crossing that seems to have been destroyed.

It was likely set up between Aug. 14 and Aug. 17 between the Russian settlements of Zvannoe and Glushkovo after two bridges were destroyed or damaged earlier.

The crossing, some 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) from the border, was gone by Aug. 19, satellite imagery showed. Smoke was also visible in images from the area that day.

While Kyiv has reported a string of battlefield successes since it crossed unexpectedly into Russia's Kursk region on Aug. 6, Russia has pressed forward on the front line in eastern Ukraine, two and a half years since its full-scale invasion.

Russia's Defence Ministry has said in recent days that its forces have taken control over several settlements in the area, including Zhelanne and Svyrydonivka, as well as the town of Niu York, some 46 km (29 miles) from Pokrovsk.

The Kyiv military has not directly commented on these claims while reporting heavy fighting in the areas.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has said the advance in the Kursk region made bigger gains than Russia had captured since the start of the year.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth, Yuliia Dysa, Milan Pavicic; editing by Philippa Fletcher)