A bridge across the Siversky Donets River in Stanytsia Luhanska, eastern Ukraine, was destroyed in a powerful explosion, the Kyiv-appointed governor of the Luhansk region, Hennadiy Moskal, has said.

"At around 6:00 p.m. yesterday, the Ukrainian army's positions near the bridge over the Siversky Donets in Stanytsia Luhanska came under sniper fire […] After [Ukrainian soldiers] fired in response, a shootout erupted between the two sides using automatic weapons, machine-guns, grenade launchers and mortars. During the armed clash, a powerful explosion occurred at the center of the bridge, which then crashed into the river. At the moment, neither vehicles nor pedestrians are able to use this bridge," Moskal's press service reported on Friday.

This bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska was partially blown up in January 16, and militants of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) tried to set up a checkpoint on the bridge on March 16, the press service said.

The bridge was officially closed to traffic by the Ukrainian administration at the beginning of 2015.