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The partisan group has released footage showing part of the train being set on fire.
A resistance movement operating on Russian territory has claimed responsibility for sabotaging railway equipment inside Russia, saying the action was aimed at slowing military supply lines.
The group, known as Atesh, said the operation took place in the city of Oryol and targeted infrastructure linked to the war effort.
Atesh announced on its Telegram channel on February 15 that its operatives set fire to key components of a VL80 mainline freight locomotive at a rail junction in Oryol. The movement said the act was intended to obstruct logistics routes used by Russian forces.
“This electric locomotive will not go anywhere again. The enemy’s logistics supply chain has taken another hit. While they search for a replacement engine, shells and equipment will not reach the front in time,” Atesh said in a statement.
Footage from the sabotage has also been released on X by other users. Article continues below.
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Disrupting supply lines
The group stated that the VL80 model is commonly deployed across Russia to haul heavy cargo, including military freight trains. It alleged that the damaged locomotive had been transporting ammunition, fuel and equipment from rear areas toward border regions.
According to Atesh, those shipments were intended to reinforce Russian troop formations operating toward the Sumy direction. The movement said the locomotive was rendered unusable as a result of arson.
The claims could not be independently verified. Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the reported incident.
Previous sabotage
The Oryol episode follows another operation announced by Atesh earlier this month. On February 12, the group said it had sabotaged a KAMAZ-based vehicle fitted with the “Omut” electronic warfare system in the Bryansk region.
According to the movement, one of its agents poured sugar into the vehicle’s fuel tank while it was at a repair and storage facility. Atesh said the action was meant to prevent the system from being deployed toward the Sumy direction and to potentially disable the engine before it entered combat service.
The group has repeatedly claimed attacks on infrastructure and equipment it says are tied to Russian military operations.
Sources: Atesh Telegram channel, United24media
