British intelligence: Sabotage of anti-war activists on Russian railways poses serious problem for Kremlin

This is stated in a report by the UK Ministry of Defence.

According to research by the Russian media outlet Mediazona, as of October 2023, 76 cases of railway sabotage in Russia have been brought to court since the invasion. At least 137 people have been prosecuted, with the vast majority of them under the age of 24.

British intelligence emphasized that since the beginning of 2023, the Russians have installed special signs at key railway infrastructure facilities, which indicate that sabotage can be punishable with up to life imprisonment under the Russian Criminal Code.

Experts note that Russia's military logistics, including supplying the war in Ukraine, remain reliant on the country's 33,000 km of railway line.

"With virtually all methods of overt dissent banned in Russia, sabotage continues to appeal to a minority of young people as a method of protest against the 'Special Military Operation,'" the British Defence Ministry states in a report.

• Earlier, British intelligence reported that the Russian invaders used the railroad network in their logistics to move manpower and weapons, so the railroad was one of the main targets for strikes from Ukraine.