Ukraine's cross-border attacks continue to cause serious damage to Russia's military infrastructure.
While ammunition depots in critical regions of Russia are being targeted, the large fires that broke out following the explosions are drawing attention.
These attacks by Ukraine are causing Russia to reconsider its strategic plans.
As the impact of cross-border attacks increases in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, let's take a closer look at the details of the events.
The other day, Ukrainian attack aircraft hit the Rosneft oil depot in Bryansk.
The object attacked by the drones was the Rosneft oil depot, which houses 25 petroleum product tanks.
The official report by local authorities states that the attack caused a fire at the production facility.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that 14 drones were captured over the Bryansk region and that they were successfully destroyed.
The fire at the oil depot was probably caused by debris from the downed drones.
The Bryansk region borders Ukraine, and the city itself is more than 100 kilometers from the border.
According to satellite images from Google Maps, the oil depot had been attacked before, as evidenced by the burnt tank.
Moreover, we know that the supply lines in the Bryansk region were also subject to Ukrainian attacks.
On December 5, two mainline locomotives were burned in a fire at a train depot in the city of Bryansk.
The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence reported that the locomotives were used to supply the Russian army.
Such attacks delay and hinder the supply of soldiers in the war zone.
While the Russian army is already experiencing an ammunition crisis, the attacks are further deepening this crisis.
On the other hand, in addition to the attacks carried out by Ukrainian forces, anti-Russian partisans were also waging a war in the shadows.
Russian insurgents recently carried out a devastating attack on a railway line, causing twenty-two cars to derail.
The incident occurred on a section of the railway between Dema and Chernikovka in Bashkortostan.
An explosive device was placed under a carriage of a freight train carrying coal.
The explosion derailed 22 carriages and closed the line for several hours.
Russian police have arrested a 31-year-old man from the Stavropol region in connection with the attack.
The suspect, identified only as Ivan I, is reportedly under investigation for acts of sabotage.
So what motivated these attacks?
Russian military strategy is entirely dependent on rail networks to sustain the massive logistics efforts required for large-scale combat operations such as those we are seeing in Ukraine today. With a vast geography and relatively limited alternatives for large-scale transportation, the Russian military needs efficient railways to transport troops, equipment and supplies. Historically, including during World War II, the reliance on the railway network for military logistics has created an "Achilles' Heel" that can be exploited through contemporary irregular warfare.
The nature of railway infrastructure makes it a prime target for sabotage. Unlike dispersed routes, railway networks are relatively centralized, with key points, bridges and junctions acting as chokepoints.
Understanding this, Ukrainian special operators and intelligence services have strategically targeted these key points, working together with, in conjunction with and through various Russian resistance groups. The "Stop the Wagons" and the "Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists" are two of the most prominent Russian political groups that have expressed their opposition to the war by sabotaging railway infrastructure.
Inspired by the Kremlin’s opposition to its invasion of Ukraine and its domestic policies, Russian partisans have taken bold steps to weaken their own country’s military infrastructure, demonstrating some internal resistance to the war. As Russian public opinion increasingly turns against the Kremlin’s war, this internal Russian resistance is likely to gain strength and confidence. The campaign to sabotage the Russian rail network began shortly after the full-scale occupation of Moscow, initially with sporadic attacks by Ukrainian special forces and sympathetic opposition figures.
