Russia reports new railway sabotage near Ukraine
An explosive device has damaged a railway track in Russia’s Voronezh Region on Thursday morning, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB). The incident follows what Moscow said were two Ukrainian “terrorist attacks” on railroad infrastructure earlier this week in the border Bryansk and Kursk Regions that killed seven people and injured more than 100.
Earlier in the day, Voronezh Region Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported disruptions to rail traffic in the area, which he said prompted several trains to halt. He explained that the driver of one of the trains “noticed minor damage to the track,” adding “there were no injuries.”
In a statement, the FSB said the railway was damaged by an explosion which occurred “directly in front of an approaching train.” It added that “the professional actions of the train driver and crew, who noticed the track damage and carried out emergency braking,” prevented any severe consequences.
The FSB stopped short of assigning the blame for the incident, saying that an investigation is underway. It added, though, that there are “sufficient grounds” to open a criminal case under terrorism-related charges.
The incident comes as Ukraine has significantly ramped up its attacks on Russian territory, including drone raids and sabotage attempts. Following the recent deadly train sabotage in the two Russian border regions, President Vladimir Putin called Kiev’s actions “undoubtedly a terrorist act.”
He described the sabotage an “intentional strike on the [Russian] civilian population,” suggesting that they were aimed at derailing the direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul. Putin subsequently cast doubt on whether it would make sense for Russia to continue the talks, wondering, “Who conducts negotiations with those who rely on terror – with terrorists?”
