Russia Expands Military Railway Connection From Rostov to Occupied Mariupol and Donetsk

Russia has launched a full-scale railway service connecting Rostov-on-Don to occupied Mariupol, Volnovakha, and Donetsk, Mariupol’s City Council reported on February 20.

“Russian occupiers have built this railway branch to shorten the route for delivering military equipment from Rostov-on-Don to Mariupol and Volnovakha. The next step is extending the line to Crimea,” stated the Center for Occupation Studies.

Mariupol’s City Council emphasized that Russian forces continue expanding military logistics around the city. The newly built railway deep in occupied territory is designed to streamline supply routes and reduce the Russian army’s dependence on the Crimean Bridge.

Despite multiple acts of sabotage by Ukrainian partisans, Russian forces continue the railway’s construction.

In May 2024, Russia established a direct railway connection between Mariupol and Moscow. The 80-kilometer branch bypassed the Crimean Bridge, enhancing logistics for the occupying forces in southern Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed a Russian train transporting 40 fuel tankers in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region, cutting off a key supply route for the Russian military.