Ukraine has noticed an alarming increase in assaults on its railroad network, having recently experienced attacks that tripled from this past July. The uptick has arrived as Moscow attempts to undermine one of Kyiv’s defining logistical networks. The rail network in Ukraine is vital, carrying over 63% of the country’s freight, including essential grain shipments, and 37% of passenger traffic. State officials and analysts say they are startled by the increasing aggressions. They fear the long-term effects that such legislation would have on the war-torn nation’s infrastructure.
In a related development, Ukraine’s army launched a strike targeting a Russian oil refinery in the Ryazan region, located near Moscow. Estimates suggest about 25 Ukrainian drones were sent on this operation. Debris from the initial attack started a fire at one of the companies located in the park. Even with the clear-cut damage, Russian officials tend to be tight-lipped when it comes to admitting to successful strikes on their territory.
While Ukraine continues to deal with the impacts of active war, they are equally challenged on energy matters. Serbia’s energy minister, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, stated that the United States would not lift sanctions imposed on the Serbian oil company NIS unless Belgrade negotiates a “complete change of Russian shareholders.” 45% owned by Gazprom Neft, which has been among the most heavily targeted by U.S. sanctions. The Serbian state is the dominant shareholder of NIS, owning almost 30% of the company, with the leftover minority in the hands of minority shareholders.
The U.S. administration has applied widely criticized pressure on Serbia with a February 13 deadline. They need to agree on amendments to NIS’s ownership structure well before sanctions can be eased. At the same time, Serbia faces a concerning energy crisis as we enter winter, analysts argue. The nation’s single remaining oil refinery is set to close amid sanctions and supply chain breakdowns.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been calling for some rapid reforms under the state nuclear company, Energoatom. Thirdly, he stressed that they needed to create the new supervisory board within one week. As he said, “We need to do a complete reboot on their financial operations, and rehire and rethink leadership at these companies.” This action is a needed step in recognizing the pressing need to strengthen America’s energy security in the face of worsening threats.
Additionally, the grim security realities faced by Ukrainians were highlighted by new accounts released by Ukraine’s prosecutors from within the Kherson region. They confirmed that “three civilians are known to have been killed” in the village of Myklitskyi and in the city of Kherson amidst ongoing hostilities.
Oleksii Kuleba, an official from Kyiv, remarked on the strategic implications of the increased assaults on railways, noting, “What we have seen in these escalating attacks is that they are going after trains, especially trying to kill the drivers.” This seemingly simple statement raises some profound issues. It focuses on the targeting of critical infrastructure and its impact on military logistics and civilian populations’ safety.