Explosive devices detonated on railway tracks in Russia’s Oryol Oblast close to Ukraine’s border during a routine inspection, killing three officers and disrupting rail traffic.

The incident may be connected to Ukrainian sabotage operations targeting Russian railway infrastructure, though authorities have not confirmed the source of the explosives.

[Update] Ukrainian intelligence sources confirmed the railway attack was carried out by fighters from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate and Special Operations Forces, according to hromadske news agency citing informed sources.

The targeted railway branches serve as critical logistical links for supplying Russian occupation forces on the Kharkiv and Sumy directions, the source stated.

On the evening of 13 September, Russian Railways workers discovered unknown mines on the Maloarkhangelsk — Glazunovka railway section, after which an engineering unit of the Russian National Guard special forces was called to the scene.

Three Russian National Guard officers died in the blast, with the death toll rising after an officer initially reported as critically wounded succumbed to his injuries.

Oryol Oblast Governor Andrei Klychkov said the blast occurred during inspection of the railway line.

“During the inspection of railway tracks, explosive devices were discovered, one of which exploded,” Klychkov stated.

The explosion caused significant disruption to rail traffic. Neighbouring Kursk Oblast Governor Alexander Khinshtein reported that 10 trains were delayed as of 8:40 p.m., affecting 457 passengers bound for Kursk.

Railway officials have restored traffic flow using alternative routing systems, though the investigation into the explosive devices continues.

The incident follows a pattern of infrastructure incidents in western Russian regions. On 1 June, two bridge collapses occurred overnight in Bryansk and Kursk oblasts.

In Bryansk, a highway bridge collapsed onto a passenger train near Vygonichi, killing seven people and injuring 66 others. A freight truck was crossing the bridge at the time of collapse.

In Kursk’s Zheleznogorsky district, a railway bridge collapsed as a freight train was crossing, causing the locomotive to catch fire and fall onto a highway below, injuring one crew member. Russian authorities initially attributed both June incidents to Ukrainian sabotage but later removed those claims.