Military activity

“They understand that all their measures are bullshit”: After the explosions in Russia, Belarusian Railway strengthens security measures

May 3, 2023 6 minutes to read

Special Operations Forces, border guards, and a reward for a saboteur — will it help?

The Community of railway workers of Belarus reports that after the explosions on May 1 and May 2 in Bryansk oblast, Russia, the Belarusian Railway is taking additional security measures.

First of all, additional information is given to employees of the Belarusian Railway about vigilance and the need to report on the presence of unauthorized or suspicious persons near the tracks. Possible signs that should be used to identify a “potential saboteur” are described.

In addition, railway workers are offered rewards for identifying such persons. It is also reported that troops — from the border guards to the Special Operations Forces — are involved in the protection of the railway infrastructure, and since yesterday units from the north of Belarus have been sent to Brest region to assist in the protection of the infrastructure.

Scheme of the deployment of paramilitary security units of the Belarusian Railway and guarded bridges Scheme of the deployment of paramilitary security units of the Belarusian Railway and guarded bridges belzhd_live

There is special attention to the control of:

  • railroad tracks,
  • signaling and communication devices on the crossings,
  • overpasses and nearby facilities.

They will also pay special attention to ensuring safety of railway bridges and excluding the possibility of unauthorized access to them.

According to @belzhd_live, patrols will also be conducted in those sections of the railway where cameras can’t be used to control them. Inspections of tracks are conducted to detect foreign objects, and employees are instructed again on what to do in case they are found.

“The need for such measures is caused by the high probability of possible sabotage on the Belarusian railroad, given the fact that its infrastructure is used to transport Russian weapons, equipment, ammunition and personnel,” @belzhd_live reported.

The editorial team of motolko.help found out from the Community of railway workers of Belarus that after the explosions of trains in Russia, the fear among Belarusian railway workers has only increased, both to go to Russia and in general. The Community reported that even before the explosions, a large number of employees of the Belarusian Railway had quit their jobs, while for others the fear of losing their jobs and going to jail is prevalent at the moment.

Besides, railway workers treat the strengthening of security on the tracks with caution, because last year at least one employee of the Belarusian Railway got in trouble because of it:

“Employees of security services (with no identification signs and in balaclavas) jumped out of the woods at the crossing and arrested a worker using force and special means. The worker tried to introduce himself, but they searched him severely, asking what he was doing on the line and only then demanded his ID card and called the management to find out if he was a worker of the Belarusian Railway or a “saboteur.” In the end, the officers didn’t apologize, but said, literally, “don’t fuck around here,” @belzhd_live reported about the incident on November 4, 2022.

— And how did the management of the Belarusian Railway react to the explosions in Russia?

“Panic, they don’t know where [the explosion] will come from and when. And in general, there is absolutely no understanding of how to provide security. They act clumsily and understand that all their measures are bullshit”, @belzhd_live said.