2023-12-03 07:10:47
Ukraine Shuts Down Russian Far East Railway, Causes Major Disruptions
The security services of Ukraine (SBU) have made a significant move by shutting down a major railway line in the Russian Far East, causing major disruptions to transportation and trade. The Baikal-Amur railway, which spans about 6,000 km, has been targeted in a series of explosions that have raised tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
The first explosion occurred while a train was passing through the longest tunnel in all of Russia, in the Republic of Buryatia, bordering Mongolia. Four explosive devices detonated, followed by another explosion on a second train on the Manera bypass route, causing a fuel leak in the area. These incidents have immediately affected the passage of Russian goods, as the Baikal-Amur railway is a crucial link between the port city of Sovetskaya Gavan and the city of Taishet in the Irkutsk district.
The disruptions caused by the shut down of the railway have significant implications for both westward traffic to Ukraine and eastward traffic to the ports of the Pacific Ocean. The damage to the Russian rail lines is not only impacting Moscow’s transportation of military logistics to Ukraine, but also its connection with China.
A senior Ukrainian official, speaking to the Kyiv Post, described the explosions as a strategic move. The diversion of traffic to the Devil’s Bridge was “what they expected,” and the official warned that “the Russians need to get used to the fact that our people are everywhere, even in distant Buryatia.”
The Trans-Siberian, East Siberian, and Baikal-Amur railways have become critical for the Russian economy since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as Moscow has shifted its supply chains to its main trading partners in the East, particularly China.
The move by Ukraine to shut down the railway is intended to damage Russian military logistics, but will also have significant economic repercussions for those who rely on shipments to China and the East.
The situation has increased tensions between Ukraine and Russia and has significant implications for the transportation and trade of goods between the two countries and their trading partners to the East.
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