Damage to rail line in Crimea may disrupt deliveries of weapons to Russia's Black Sea Fleet – UK intelligence
The UK Defense Ministry reported this on Twitter, according to Ukrinform.
The ministry recalled that on May 18, 2023, a train derailed near Simferopol, blocking the only rail line into the port of Sevastopol, the base of Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF).
"Russia will move to repair the line quickly, but the incident will disrupt deliveries of supplies and potentially also weaponry, such as Kalibr cruise missiles, to the BSF," the post reads.
British intelligence believes that any sabotage in this sensitive area "will further increase the Kremlin's concerns about its ability to protect other key infrastructure in Crimea." "The peninsula retains a vital psychological and logistical role in enabling Russia's war in Ukraine," analysts said.
Early on May 18, in temporarily occupied Crimea, a railway line was blown up in the Simferopol district, not far from the village of Chystenke. Several railcars derailed, and the movement of trains was suspended. A large crater formed at the site of the explosion. In total, eight railcars derailed, and five of them overturned.
