The Russian authorities have opened an investigation as a “terrorist act” after the derailment of a freight train this Saturday southeast of Moscow, as announced by the Russian Investigative Committee on Telegram.

The activation of an “improvised explosive device” caused the derailment of 19 carriages, it adds. Numerous sabotages have been reported on railway tracks in Russia since Moscow launched its offensive against Ukraine in February 2022.

“Today at 07:12 hours (04:12 GMT) on the Ríbnoye-Blokpost section, according to preliminary information, as a result of the intervention of unauthorized persons in the operation of railway transport, 19 cars of a freight train derailed” , noted Moscow Railways on its Telegram channel.

The derailment occurred about 180 kilometers south-east of Moscow and, according to authorities, does not pose a threat to the environment.

“I have instructed regional bodies to help Russian Railways overcome the consequences of the incident,” the governor of the Ryazan region, Pavel Malkov, wrote on his Telegram channel.

He added that there have been no delays in the movement of trains, since the derailment occurred on a siding.