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Explosion derails Russian military convoy in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, HUR says

explosion derails russian military convoy occupied zaporizhzhia oblast hur says yakymovka deep state's railways marked white black dashed lines yakymivka train blown up near town overnight 31 damaging fuel wagons

A Russian military train was blown up near the occupied town of Yakymivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast overnight on 31 May, damaging fuel wagons and a vital supply route used by Moscow’s forces to support occupied Crimea, Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency reported.

Ukraine has been conducting an air campaign against Russian strategic targets such as ammunition depots, command centers, military factories, oil processing and storage facilities in Russia and the Russian-occupied territory. The campaign is aided by sabotage activities. In the first half of December 2024, multiple sabotage acts targeted rail infrastructure inside Russia. These included the destruction of railway tracks and the burning of five locomotives, underlining an escalating campaign against logistical nodes.

According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, the explosion occurred on the railway line close to Yakymivka in the Melitopol district. The freight train, which included fuel tanks, was moving toward occupied Crimea when the blast hit. As a result, freight cars and tanker cars went off the rails, and the track was severely damaged.

HUR described the targeted section as “a key logistical artery of the Russians on the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Crimea.” The agency stated that this disruption undermines Moscow’s ability to maintain military logistics in the south.

In response to the attack, Russian occupation forces declared a standard police “interception plan” across the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, HUR reported. Authorities increased the number of military patrols in local settlements and intensified checks at checkpoints.

Recent attacks and incidents on Russian trains and infrastructure

On 25 May, Ukrainian military intelligence reported a drone strike on another Russian freight train transporting fuel in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Ukrainian drones hit Russian military train with fuel in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast (video)

That same evening, a train in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast was damaged after hitting an explosive device, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

In the early hours of 1 June, two bridge collapses occurred in Bryansk and Kursk oblasts. In Bryansk, a car bridge collapsed onto a passenger train, killing at least seven people. In Kursk, an accident on a railway bridge involving a freight train was reported, with no initial casualties mentioned.




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