Buryatia Tunnel Blast 'Paralyzed' Russia's Main Link to China

Russia's main rail link to China has been left paralyzed after Ukraine's Security Service blew up a tunnel in the Russian republic of Buryatia, it has been reported.

The explosions in the Severomuysky Tunnel were masterminded by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), "paralyzing the only serious route of railway communication between the Russian Federation and China," news outlet RBC-Ukraine reported on Thursday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.

Ukraine's SBU told Newsweek that officially, it can "neither confirm nor deny
involvement" in the incident, but added that "death is the only prospect we can offer to the occupiers" who have "brought war, loss of life and violence to our land."

"We will be able to talk about who is behind this or that case after our victory. Which will definitely come soon," the SBU added.

The Severomuysky Tunnel is a railroad connection on the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) in northwestern Buryatia.

The Soviet-built BAM is a crucial transit railway that cuts through Siberia and is used to deliver cargo shipments to Asia. It is one of the world's longest railway networks, stretching around 4,300 kilometers, or almost 2,700 miles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pushed to modernize the country's railways, including the BAM, in order to handle the rapid increase in freight traffic from China to Europe, and to reduce transport times between ports in Russia's Far East and the country's western border.

An RBC-Ukraine source said that Russia used the route for military supplies.

Russian-language Telegram channel Baza, which is linked to Russia's security services, said that a fuel tank caught fire while moving through the tunnel in Buryatia in the early hours of Thursday.

"It was probably sabotage," the channel reported Thursday, adding that there were no casualties.

"What caused the fire is still unknown. Police and FSB officers are working on the spot. Also, police and special services officers are working on the train parking areas," Baza reported. The FSB is Russia's main state security agency and the principal successor to the Soviet-era KGB.

Ukrainian publication Ukrainska Pravda also reported that the tunnel was blown up by the SBU.

"Four explosive devices went off during the movement of the freight train. Now the FSB is working on the spot, and railway workers are unsuccessfully trying to minimize the consequences of the SBU's special operation," a source told Ukrainska Pravda.

Ukrainska Pravda's source also said that the BAM is the only major railway connection between Russia and China and that it has been used to transport military supplies. And currently this route, which Russia uses, specifically for military supplies, is paralyzed.

Newsweek has contacted the foreign ministries of Russia and Ukraine for comment via email.

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.

Update 11/30/23, 10:52 a.m.: This story was updated with comment from Ukraine's SBU.

Update 11/30/23, 6:05 a.m.: This story was updated with additional information.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.