The rising number of sabotage acts inside Russia suggests that the country will "highly likely remain unable" to fully protect its rail networks against further incidents, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on May 5.
Incidents along Russian rail networks have "almost certainly caused short-term localized disruption" to the Russian military, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote.
These incidents will "increase pressure on Russia's internal security forces" even though its railway troop brigades are capable of repairing them quickly.
For example, a train carrying fuel supplies was derailed in Bryansk Oblast overnight on May 1.
Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz published a post on his Telegram channel on May 1 saying that "an unidentified explosive device" went off near railway tracks. Russian state-owned media RIA Novosti wrote that there were wagons on the train transporting fuel and building materials.
Since the start of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, there have been multiple reports about fires breaking out across Russia and other acts of sabotage which some believe to be carried out by the Ukrainian military or local partisan groups.
However, neither Ukraine nor Russian partisan groups have stepped forward to claim direct responsibility.
Anastasiia Lapatina
(Updated: )
