Russian governor suggests 'explosive device' caused commuter train derailment, then edits it out

A commuter train derailed in Russia’s western Belgorod region on Wednesday, injuring one passenger, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Gladkov initially blamed the incident on “the absence of around two metres of railway track, which may have been caused by the detonation of an explosive device”. He later edited the post to say only that the missing track was caused by “damage”. No explanation was given for the change, which was first noticed by the Telegram channel Pepel.

Russian authorities have frequently accused Ukraine of organising railway explosions and other sabotage attacks inside Russia, often without publicly presenting detailed evidence. Most legal proceedings in these cases take place behind closed doors; defendants’ names are often unknown, and verdicts sometimes emerge before the public learns a case existed.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian border regions have seen numerous incidents of railway sabotage and unexplained derailments. The most recent cluster occurred in late May and early June of last year. In the Bryansk region, seven people were killed when a road bridge was allegedly blown up and collapsed onto a passenger train. Further explosions targeting railway infrastructure were reported across the Kursk, Bryansk, Voronezh, and Belgorod regions between 1 and 6 June 2025. No such incidents have been reported so far this year.