Russia targets Ukrainian railways to disrupt Western arms flow

Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian railway lines to hinder the delivery of much-needed American weapons to the front – a source in the Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) told Reuters on Friday. Representatives of Kyiv's services emphasize that this is a classic move before an offensive.

Russian forces attacked Ukrainian railway infrastructure in Donetsk Oblast in the east of the country, Kharkiv Oblast in the northeast, and Cherkasy Oblast in the central part of the country on Thursday.

In the attack on Donetsk Oblast, three rail electrical engineers were killed, and four were injured. In Kharkiv Oblast, a railway station in the city of Balakliya was attacked, injuring 13 people, including three railway employees. The railway infrastructure was also damaged in Smila in Cherkasy Oblast.

As emphasized by AFP, the railway infrastructure is currently of immense importance in Ukraine, as since the beginning of Russia's full-scale assault, air traffic has been paralyzed.

As a high-ranking Ukrainian security service official told AFP, attacking the railway network is a classic move before an offensive, which is expected in the coming weeks.

Russian forces reported on Friday that they struck, among other targets, a train with Western weapons and military equipment in Udy, in Donetsk Oblast.

The attacks come at a time when the United States, after months of waiting, has resumed military aid to Ukraine. Western weapons, including ammunition and anti-aircraft defence systems, are being secretly delivered to Ukraine from neighbouring countries, especially Poland.