Blast damages railway track in Russia's Voronezh; FSB points to terrorism - UPDATED
A potential railway tragedy was narrowly avoided in Russia’s Voronezh Region after an explosive device damaged a section of track just moments before a train was due to arrive, authorities said.
According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the incident is being investigated as a terrorist act, News.Az reports, citing TASS.
Several trains were halted due to damage to the railroad at the Yevdakovo-Saguny crossing.
No casualties were reported, Governor Alexander Gusev confirmed on Telegram.
The FSB reported that the explosion occurred early in the morning just ahead of a passing train.
Emergency braking by the alert train driver and crew prevented a disaster.
A full investigation is underway, and authorities are inspecting the scene.
(16:07)
An explosion damaged railway tracks in the Voronezh region of southwestern Russia on Thursday, partially halting train operations.
The blast occurred at the 725th kilometer of the Yevdakovo-Saguny line, halting train traffic in one direction, News.Az reports, citing The Moscow Times.
Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev confirmed the incident, saying that the damage was discovered by a train operator.
“There were no injuries,” Gusev wrote on his Telegram channel. “Emergency services are on site investigating the cause, and a repair crew from the South Eastern Railway is working to restore service. I am personally monitoring the situation.”
He did not say who was suspected of carrying out the attack.
It is the latest in a series of explosions targeting railway infrastructure in western Russia that have disrupted train traffic, caused casualties and further strained relations between Moscow and Kyiv even as the two countries pursue peace talks.
Ukraine has regularly struck military and logistical sites inside Russia in an effort to thwart Moscow's ability to carry out its full-scale invasion.
Previously, a similar explosion hit a railway line in the neighboring Belgorod region on May 25. Officials said that an explosive device had been placed under the tracks and detonated as a train passed.
While no injuries were reported and authorities said the train did not derail, the blast damaged overhead power lines and temporarily halted traffic.
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