Satellite imagery shows that the russian forces in Ukraine have completed the construction and are gradually putting into operation the newly built railway line between the settlements of Burne and Malovodne in the territory they have occupied in the eastern part of the country, Frontelligence Insight reports.
This rail branch spans for almost 80 kilometers, and by launching it, russian troops establish an alternative railway connection between the Taganrog city of russia and the temporarily occupied Ukrainian major city Mariupol, essentially bypassing the Crimean Bridge to ensure the logistics of the russian army in southern Ukraine.
Read more: russians Start Restoring Abandoned Airfields in Temporarily Occupied Crimea
The monitoring group further clarifies in its post that russians began construction of this railway no later than June 2023. In addition, approximately in April or early May of 2024, the invaders had three "test trains" travel between Volnovakha in the Donetsk Region and the seaport in Mariupol.
The Frontelligence Insight's authors provide two satellite images that confirm the fact that the railway line between Mariupol and Taganrog is already in operation (see above).
Two important details emerge from this imagery, as Defense Express can testify at the moment: 1) this railway branch has only one track, that is, its capacity is limited to 10 trains per day at most, 2) this branch can only support trains with a limited mass, that is, less than the common configuration of 54 freight cars or standard 4,000 tons of weight.
The Frontelligence Insight group itself emphasizes that these particular trains spotted in the satellite images could also be launched in test mode, and that the branch connecting Mariupol and Taganrog will be fully operational by summer 2024. One can argue that the russians are either way unlikely to be able to use this railway with a load greater than the one they are testing now.
However, in this case, not only the capacity indicators are important but also the effect that the appearance of this railway gives to russians invasion forces. In fact, this route allows them to carry out military logistics without the Crimean Bridge they are heavily reliant on, while simultaneously reducing the time it takes to deliver goods by rail to its forward line of defense.
Also, the russian troops can potentially spare the so-called Crimean Bridge so it can focus on satisfying the immediate needs of their regime on the territory of the Crimean peninsula.
Read more: Signs that Ukraine Prepares to Attack russia's Territory with Long-Range Missiles, Appeared
