Interior Ministry confirms destruction of railway signalling equipment and track blocking on the railroad

March 2, BPN. The Ministry of Internal Affairs partially confirmed the information of the Cyberpartisans and ByPol groups, recognized as extremist in Belarus, about the damages on the railroad.

The groups stated that cyberattacks and physical infiltration caused significant disruptions on the railroad.

According to the Interior Ministry, between February 28 and March 1, “three cases of railway signalling equipment destruction and blocking of railroad tracks were registered” in Mahilioŭ, Homiel’, and Minsk regions. “Busly Liaciac’ and ByPol groups took responsibility. All these actions were qualified as acts of terrorism, and a criminal case is currently being initiated and investigated. The railway infrastructure has been taken under the control of the internal affairs bodies and internal troops,” the Interior Ministry said.

According to the ministry, “at present we are actually in a state of information warfare.” “Specific examples of information attacks include calls to block railroad tracks and disabling railway signalling equipment. We recorded such appeals on February 27 from ByPol, then from other “fugitive” and destructive initiatives (Busly Liaciac’, P. Latuška, S. Cichanoŭskaja),” the report says.

According to the police, in the night of March 2, a couple from Stoŭbcy “who set fire to logs on the railway tracks with the aim of obstructing the movement of trains” was detained. “Both were under the influence of alcohol. The man filmed everything on his cell phone, commenting and openly expressing his terrorist intentions. He faces up to 20 years in prison,” the ministry said.

It is also reported that a 35-year-old “rail partisan” was detained in Žodzina.

Commenting on the calls of the head of the National Anti-Crisis Management Paviel Latuška and Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Cichanoŭskaja, the Interior Ministry said: “While calling for peace in Ukraine, they are actually calling for war and committing terrorist attacks in our country. One does not negotiate with terrorists, one destroys them.”