Ukrainian Partisans Strike Russian Transit While Russian Spies Infiltrate Germany

Trains Destined for Occupied Ukrainian Territories Torched

On the night of December 30, Ukrainian partisans, residing in Russia's Moscow Oblast, reportedly put two locomotives to the torch. According to Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the exiled mayor of the Russian-occupied Mariupol, these trains were destined for the occupied areas of Ukraine. The information, disseminated on Andriushchenko's Telegram channel, included several video clips showcasing the flaming ruins of the locomotives. However, independent verification of these claims by official sources remains elusive.

Andriushchenko went on to detail how the members of the Mariupol resistance destroyed an electric train estimated at around 50 million rubles ($460 million), while the Azov resistance group took down a diesel train. The damages incurred were of a permanent nature. This behavior isn't new amongst Ukrainian partisans. They also previously claimed responsibility for several attacks on Russian transit infrastructure, including an incident earlier this month concerning the sabotage of a critical railway line connecting Russia's Moscow and Kursk oblasts, a move that significantly interrupted supply lines.

German-Russian Citizens Charged with Spying

In a separate turn of events, three German-Russian citizens from the town of Bayreuth, Germany, found themselves at the mercy of Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office. On December 30, they were charged with spying for Russia. Of the trio, one of the main suspects falls on Dieter S., a 40-year-old former participant of Russian proxy forces in Ukraine who reportedly photographed military facilities and plotted railway sabotage.

According to warnings from Der Spiegel, Russian hybrid attacks and sabotage operations against NATO countries have witnessed a sharp increase, following Moscow's launch of a full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022. Dieter S., alongside two other suspected accomplices, was allegedly zeroing in on potential targets within Bavaria. Their rumored list consists of the U.S. Grafenwoehr military base where Ukrainian soldiers are currently undergoing training. Potential plans deviate from just railway track sabotage; conversations about bomb attacks and arson entered the mix. The aim? To undermine Germany's backing for Kyiv.

NATO Warns of Rising Sabotage Cases and Potential Casualties

German investigators assert that Dieter S. has previous ties to Russian intelligence services. His record includes serving for Russian proxy forces against Ukraine in Donbas from 2014 to 2016, a stint landing him legal charges as soon as October this year. Dieter S. and Alexander J. found themselves under arrest in April of this year following an initial investigation by German security services. However, the arrest warrant against Alexander J. was subsequently suspended, with no explanation given.

Apprehensions regarding Russian hybrid attacks threatening allied nations have been voiced by NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary-General James Appathurai. According to his warning, such an attack might lead to substantial casualties, especially as sabotage cases experienced a surge in 2024. The latest case registers the Finnish authorities seizing the Eagle S tanker, which was transporting Russian oil, under suspicion of cutting an undersea cable between Finland and Estonia.