The Ukrainian partisan movement “ATESH” dealt a major blow to the Russian army’s rear lines. The underground group has carried out sabotage on a railway near Yekaterinburg, roughly 2,087 km from Ukraine, completely paralyzing the movement of trains along Russia’s strategic routes.

This hub supplied ammunition, armored vehicles, fuel, and personnel to the frontlines, factories, and depots in the north and east.

“Now, military depots are idle, dealing a blow to the Russian rear logistics,” says the group. 

Strikes at the heart of Russia’s war machine

“Our agent sabotaged the railway near Yekaterinburg by damaging relay equipment. This disrupted train traffic across all strategic directions,” the movement reports.  

Scope of destruction in the Ukrainian infrastructure

At the same time, Russia’s war against Ukraine has damaged or destroyed nearly 11,000 km of railway tracks and over 43 stations.

As of 2025, the direct infrastructure losses in Ukraine are estimated at around $170 billion, with transportation alone accounting for roughly $38.5 billion. 

Russian forces conducted extensive attacks on Ukraine’s energy and gas transport infrastructure during the night of 26-27 August, affecting six regions across the country.

The strikes targeted facilities in Sumy, Poltava, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts using drones, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy.

The attacks focused specifically on civilian infrastructure, with emergency and rescue services currently working at impact sites while damage assessments continue.

In northeastern Sumy, located near the border with Russia, a key electrical substation sustained damage around 1 a.m., resulting in power outages across significant portions of the city and affecting industrial consumers. The attack also disrupted the city’s water supply system, forcing all water utility facilities to switch to emergency backup power.

Central Poltava Oblast experienced strikes against gas transport infrastructure facilities, causing substantial damage to the regional gas network. Energy and gas workers are currently working to restore services as quickly as possible.

Ukrainian officials characterized the attacks as “another act of energy terrorism aimed at the civilian population” and part of what they called Russia’s deliberate strategy to destroy civilian infrastructure ahead of the upcoming heating season.

The most severe period of Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure occurred during winter 2024. Russia launched large-scale assaults on thermal power plants and heating systems. Cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv experienced prolonged rolling blackouts affecting both residential areas and industrial operations during the harshest weather conditions in winter.

Ukraine’s energy situation has partially stabilized in 2025 through infrastructure repairs and increased electricity imports from Europe, with nuclear power now serving as the backbone of the system. However, the network remains vulnerable to periodic strikes, as demonstrated by the recent August attacks on Sumy and Poltava oblasts.