The pro-Ukrainian partisan network ATESH says it carried out a sabotage operation in Saint Petersburg, targeting a locomotive used in the transport of oil-related cargo and disrupting rail logistics in Russia’s northwestern supply system.
According to the group, its agents set the engine on fire, taking it out of service and affecting rail movements linked to fuel and industrial supply chains. It claimed the locomotive was part of logistics routes supporting regional energy infrastructure and manufacturing, including flows connected to major export corridors in the northwest of Russia.
The group said rail infrastructure in the north-west remains under sustained pressure, with critical nodes playing a key role in moving fuel, raw materials, and export goods.
It added that disruptions in the Saint Petersburg area can affect routes linked to port operations, including those associated with the Ust-Luga export terminal.
Who is ATESH?
ATESH is a clandestine resistance network operating inside Russian-controlled territory and within Russia itself. The group says it focuses on reconnaissance and sabotage operations against military, transport, and communications infrastructure that it considers to be supporting Russia’s war effort against Ukraine.
ATESH statements are typically released via Telegram and often include claims of damage to rail assets, depots, and logistical hubs. The group also claims to have agents operating inside the Russian armed forces, which it says helps it gather intelligence and identify targets.
Wider campaign targeting Russian rail logistics
The movement has repeatedly emphasized Russia’s reliance on rail transport for both military and industrial logistics. It argues that the system is highly sensitive to disruption due to congestion at key junctions and a limited number of operational locomotives available to Russian Railways.
In its messaging, ATESH often claims that even the loss of a single unit can create delays that ripple through wider supply chains.
The claims have not been independently verified.
ATESH has previously reported similar operations targeting Russia’s railway system, including a claimed sabotage operation near a transit hub in Russia’s Rostov Oblast in April, where it said a locomotive was destroyed as part of efforts to disrupt military supply lines.
