logo
Ukrainian Resistance Blows Up Railway in Occupied Territory

Ukrainian Resistance Blows Up Railway in Occupied Territory

Newsweek27-04-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Pro-Ukrainian partisans said on Sunday they had "destroyed" equipment along a railway running through the eastern Ukrainian Luhansk region, in the latest of claimed attacks by Kyiv-aligned operatives against Russia.
Why It Matters
Russia annexed Luhansk, along with the neighboring Donetsk region and southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts, in fall 2022. Luhansk and Donetsk collectively make up the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the country's traditional industrial heartland.
Moscow had seized Crimea, to the south of mainland Ukraine, from Kyiv in 2014 as it backed pro-Kremlin separatists in the Donbas.
Russia's grip on these five regions is not internationally recognized.
People wait for evacuation to Russia at Debaltsevo railway station in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on February 19, 2022.
People wait for evacuation to Russia at Debaltsevo railway station in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on February 19, 2022.
Sergey Averin / Sputnik via AP
What To Know
Atesh, a pro-Ukrainian partisan group active in Crimea and other parts of Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory, said on Sunday its members had "destroyed" transformer equipment along the railway used by Russian troops to transport troops and supplies close to the town of Stanytsia Luhanska.
The town sits northeast of the regional capital, Luhansk City, roughly 11 miles west of internationally recognized Russian territory.
Russia controls the vast majority of Luhansk.
The "successful sabotage" disrupted Russian logistics and caused delays in Moscow's deliveries of equipment and spare parts, the partisans said.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
The Atesh movement said it was "systematically" targeting transport infrastructure used by Moscow in Russian-held areas.
The group said earlier in April it destroyed another transformer unit along a railway close to the Russian city of Kemerovo, in southwestern Siberia.
The railway linked up Russian military production facilities, including a plant making ammunition, according to Atesh. "The number of disruptions on railways throughout the Russian Federation will only increase," the group said.
Overnight Attacks
Kyiv said Russia had launched 149 strike drones at Ukraine overnight, with its air defenses intercepting 57 of the uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Moscow targeted Donetsk, as well as the central Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions and parts of northern, southern and western Ukraine, the air force said.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had intercepted three Ukrainian drones over Crimea earlier in the day. In earlier statements, the Kremlin said air defenses had shot down eight drones over the border Bryansk region since 10:30 p.m. Moscow time (3:30 p.m. ET) Saturday.
What People Are Saying
The Atesh group said Russian forces used the railway "to transport resources for supplying troops, as well as military equipment."
What Happens Next
"In the near future, there will be more and more such strikes," the Atesh group said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ukrainian woman searches for husband lost in action two years ago
Ukrainian woman searches for husband lost in action two years ago

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Ukrainian woman searches for husband lost in action two years ago

By Tom Balmforth CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (Reuters) -When gaunt Ukrainian soldiers dismount from buses as part of prisoner swaps with Russia, Mariia Pylnyk tries to find out anything she can about her missing husband from the freed men, and hopes, just maybe, that he will be among them. Holding up a photograph of Dmytro Pylnyk, lost in action in early 2023, she has many questions. What happened to his unit when it was ambushed by Russian forces? Was he captured by Russia? Could he eventually be released? The mass prisoner swap last month was an opportunity for people like her to ask troops just out of Russian captivity about missing loved ones who they believe, or simply hope, are prisoners of war. The alternative is unthinkable. "I hold out great hope that someone has heard something, seen something," Pylnyk, 29, told Reuters at a recent exchange in May, flanked by other relatives of those missing in action. "My son and I are waiting for (his) dad to come home. Hope dies last. God willing, it'll all be okay and dad will come back." Precise numbers for soldiers missing in action are not made public. For Ukrainians, and for Russians on the other side of the conflict, it can be hard to find out even basic information. Pylnyk says she has written to government agencies and Russian authorities and learned almost nothing. Ukrainian officials say more than 70,000 Ukrainians have been registered missing since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The majority are from the military but the figure also includes civilians. Another 12,000 have been removed from the list after being identified among the dead or returned in exchanges. Petro Yatsenko, a spokesman for the Coordination Council that arranges prisoner swaps from the Ukrainian side, said Russia had never notified Kyiv which soldiers it is holding prisoner. Ukraine collects that data by other means as best it can, he said. Pylnyk and others like her share information in online chat groups and use it to try to piece together what happened. "Misfortune brought us together," she said. "After two years of this, we're like a family." LAST PHONE CALL Dmytro Pylnyk, an electrician by trade, was drafted into the army in late 2022. He phoned home often so that his wife did not worry but last called on their son Artem's third birthday on Feb. 27, 2023. He was deployed from Kharkiv region towards Bakhmut, a small city that later fell to Russian forces after fierce fighting. His unit's convoy was caught in a Russian ambush, Mariia Pylnyk said she had learned. "The guys ran any which way," she said, citing conversations with commanders who told her 41 soldiers were missing in action. Two were captured and have since been released. One, who was freed in an exchange at Easter and had lost both his arms, was unable to share any valuable information, she said. The second refused to talk. The pace of prisoner swaps has increased in the last month. Ukraine and Russia each released 1,000 prisoners in a three-day exchange last month, the only tangible outcome of direct talks in Istanbul. A prisoner swap of under-25s on Monday was the first in a series of exchanges also expected to include each side repatriating the remains of thousands. Mariia Pylnyk has given her son's DNA to the authorities so that if Dmytro is confirmed killed in action they will be notified. "We all understand that this is war and anything is possible. But to this day, I don't believe it and I don't feel that he is dead. I feel like he's alive and God willing he'll return," she said. NO SIGNAL TO CALL She lives with Artem, now five, in Pakul, a village in the northern Chernihiv region that was briefly occupied by Russians. She has not told Artem his father is missing in action. "He knows that dad is a soldier, dad is a good man, dad is at work and just doesn't have any signal to call," she said. She takes comfort from seeing families reunited and never allows herself to cry in front of her son. She used to work in a shop, but Artem has often been ill. The angst of the last two years have taken their toll on her health too. She receives state support. Pylnyk has vowed to find her husband but has often not had time to attend prisoner swaps while looking after their son. "Only a weakling can give up, you know, throw up their hands and say that's it, he's not there," she said, adding that she was very emotional when she attended last month's big exchange. "When I was there, the fighting spirit awoke in me that I needed. I have to do this. Who else will do it but me?"

Donald Trump Says China 'Not Easy' As Trade Talks Kick Off
Donald Trump Says China 'Not Easy' As Trade Talks Kick Off

Newsweek

time17 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Donald Trump Says China 'Not Easy' As Trade Talks Kick Off

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has described China as "not easy" to deal with, but touted progress between the two countries as negotiations go into their second day. "We are doing well with China. China is not easy," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. "Now I'm only getting good reports," he added, referencing the U.S. delegation currently meeting with Chinese officials in London. "It's a little early, but they'll be calling in soon. In fact, probably when I get back, I'll have my first call from them." On Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Beijing's chief trade negotiator Vice Premier He Lifeng. Others in the Chinese delegation include Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and international trade negotiator Li Chenggang. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, center right, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, center left, pose for a group photo with delegations before their meeting to discuss... In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, center right, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, center left, pose for a group photo with delegations before their meeting to discuss China-U.S. trade, in London, Monday, June 9, 2025. More Li Ying/Xinhua via AP Lutnick hailed the discussions as "fruitful," according to Bloomberg, while Bessent told reporters that the two delegations had a "good meeting." The talks may continue on Tuesday; China's Foreign Ministry has said that its delegation will be in the U.K. between June 8 and June 13. According to White House economist Kevin Hasset, Washington is seeking a "handshake" from Beijing, and the promise that the country will free up the flow of critical minerals to the U.S. "Our expectation is that after the handshake, immediately after the handshake, any export controls from the US will be eased and the rare earths will be released in volume and then we can go back to negotiating smaller matters," Hassett told CNBC ahead of the meetings on Monday. This is a developing story with updates to follow.

Iran Sends Defiant Warning to US on Nuclear Program: "Delusional President"
Iran Sends Defiant Warning to US on Nuclear Program: "Delusional President"

Newsweek

time31 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Iran Sends Defiant Warning to US on Nuclear Program: "Delusional President"

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ahead of a next round of nuclear talks with the United States, Iran has issued a defiant warning—cautioning Washington to take its red lines seriously on uranium enrichment and sanctions relief, announcing an expansion of its nuclear power program and threatening to curtail cooperation with the UN watchdog IAEA. One top Iranian official described U.S. President Donald Trump as "delusional". Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment. Why It Matters Recent remarks by Iranian officials come amid heightened tensions over discussions on a potential nuclear agreement with Washington as Tehran faces growing pressure from Western powers and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), alongside threats of military action by Israel. As it prepares to respond to a U.S. proposal following five rounds of Oman-mediated talks, Iran says its advancing nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes and non-negotiable, while demanding meaningful relief from the sanctions reimposed under Trump. Iranian citizens protest against the current Iranian government outside the Omani Embassy in Rome during the closed-door meeting between U.S. and Iranian delegations to discuss Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, Friday, May 23, 2025. Iranian citizens protest against the current Iranian government outside the Omani Embassy in Rome during the closed-door meeting between U.S. and Iranian delegations to discuss Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, Friday, May 23, 2025. Andrew Medichini/AP Photo What To Know "We strongly recommend the American side not to waste this opportunity — it's in their own interest to take it seriously," Iran's Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said about the upcoming round of talks, according to Mehr News Agency. The ministry has also criticized plans for a resolution from the United States and European allies to the IAEA board that would declare Iran non-compliant with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, according to Reuters. After years of good cooperation with the IAEA—resulting in a resolution which shut down malign claims of a "possible military dimension" (PMD) to Iran's peaceful nuclear program—my country is once again accused of "non-compliance". Instead of engaging in good faith, the E3 is… — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 6, 2025 Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said his country will "powerfully advance its nuclear program in clear response to Western lies," the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says, with Baqaei warning that any IAEA confrontation would trigger Iranian countermeasures, not more cooperation. While enrichment has been at the heart of disagreements, Iranian officials have further expressed skepticism over Washington's recent proposal, saying it did not address sanctions relief—a central demand in the negotiations. Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf called Trump the "delusional president of the United States" pursuing a policy of "imposition," according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. Under the Trump administration's maximum pressure policy, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned over 30 Iranian individuals this week for operating a shadow banking network that allegedly facilitated billions of dollars in illicit transactions for the Iranian government. What People Are Saying U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, as quoted by Reuters on Tuesday: "They're just asking for things that you can't do. They don't want to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment." Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi said Monday in an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA): "We are preparing the response, which has not yet been finalized... Our proposal is certainly not a one-sentence or one-paragraph text that can be easily dismissed. It contains elements that demonstrate our seriousness, show that our position has a defined framework, and indicate that we intend to work based on established principles. Our approach is logical." What Happens Next Iran will send its reply to Washington within days, according to media reports, with the date of the next round of talks with the U.S. yet to be officially confirmed by all parties. Members of the IAEA board are due to vote this week.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store