A Ukrainian defense source has confirmed that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was the mastermind behind explosions that rocked two railway links on a strategic route in Siberia this week.
This operation, if confirmed, shows how Kiev has focused on causing constraints to Russian logistics thousands of kilometers away from the epicenter of the Ukrainian conflict. The first detonation occurred on Wednesday, on the Baikal-Amur route, specifically in the Bessolov Severomuyskiy tunnel in the Buryatia region, on the border with Mongolia.
With train traffic diverted due to the incident, SBU officers struck a second train on Thursday as it crossed the so-called Devil’s Bridge, in the vicinity of the first attack.
The explosions, attributed to “explosive devices”, were a strategic move to disable this crucial railway, according to the same source. “The Russians fell into the SBU trap not once, but twice,” this SBU source said, describing the attacks as a “special operation to disable this important railway.”
Russian Telegram channels reported fires on two trains in the area, with videos revealing burning trains along a railway line, although it was not immediately clear which incident the videos correspond to.
Russia, for its part, has not yet classified Wednesday’s explosion as an attack nor accused Ukraine for what it has so far described as “a fire on a freight train”.
The Ukrainian service emphasized that Russians use the railway for “military logistics”, describing the route as “the only major railway connection between Russia and China”. The targeted trains were believed to be transporting fuel.
Ukrainian analysts point out that the route is vital for Russian deliveries from North Korea and China. Officially, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attacks, and the SBU has not officially commented. CNN was unable to independently confirm the explosions.