Belarusian railway saboteurs who helped thwart Russia’s attack on Kyiv

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When Russian troops first flown across the Belarusian border into Ukraine in what they assumed would be a lightning strike on Kyiv, they were intending to rely on the region’s extensive rail network for supplies and reinforcements.

The Russians did not take into account the railway saboteurs of Belarus.

In the early days of the invasion in February, a covert network of railway workers, hackers and disgruntled security forces took action to disable or disrupt railway links connecting Russia to Ukraine via Belarus, wreaking havoc on Russian supply lines.

Attacks outside Belarus have garnered little attention amid the drama of the Russian offensive and the bloody aftermath of Russia’s humiliating withdrawal. Analysts say fierce Ukrainian resistance and tactical errors by the Russian military were enough to thwart Russia’s plans.

But the saboteurs of the Belarus Railway can at least claim a role in fueling the military chaos that quickly surrounded the Russians, leaving the front lines without food, fuel and ammunition within days of the invasion. The soldiers left.

The head of Ukrainian Railways, Alexander Kamyshin, expressed his gratitude to Ukraine for the Belarusian sabotage. “They are brave and honest people who have helped us,” he said.

Members of the activist network said the attacks were simple but effective, targeting the signal control cabinet essential to the functioning of the railways. For days on end, train movement was paralyzed, forcing the Russians to attempt to repatriate their troops by road and intercept the infamous 40-mile military convoy north of Kyiv. Contributed to the snar-up.

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Article URL : https://crast.net/40038/belarusian-railway-saboteurs-who-helped-thwart-russias-attack-on-kyiv/