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Ukraine sabotaged Belgorod Oblast railroad, derailing freight train, media reports

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Ukraine sabotaged Belgorod Oblast railroad, derailing freight train, media reports
Photo for illustrative purposes. The entrance to the Russian city of Belgorod, some 40 kilometers from border with Ukraine, on May 28, 2023. (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian reconnaissance and special forces blew up a railroad in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, derailing a freight train, Babel media outlet reported on Sept. 12, citing a military intelligence source.

A day earlier, Russian authorities claimed that a diesel locomotive and 11 cars of the freight train derailed at the Novy Oskol-Volokonovka span. The Russian Investigative Committee described the incident as a "terrorist attack" and opened a criminal case.

Babel's source confirmed the train's derailment, saying that it "provided for the logistical needs of the Russian occupiers."

"Stary Oskol-Valuyky railway section is paralyzed," the source claimed.

The Kyiv Independent reached out to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) but has not received a response at the time of publication.

The train derailed due to an explosion on the tracks, the Russian Telegram channel Baza wrote on Sept. 11. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

Several sabotage attacks against Russian railways, including fires, explosions, and derailments, have been reported during Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine.

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) claimed in January that some of the railway tracks in Russia were targeted by "unknown opponents of (Vladimir) Putin's regime." The agency did not say whether it was involved in the sabotage attacks but said the actions would disrupt Russian military logistics.

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Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, and social issues. Denisova began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

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