The ‘Rail War’ in Belarus and Its Impact on Russian Logistics During the Invasion of Ukraine

• In Event: Belarus III: Belarus as a Battleground: Resistance, Activism, Control

Abstract

Between January and May 2022, a series of sabotage attacks occurred against railway infrastructure in Belarus. Among oppositionists, this event was labelled the ‘2022 Rail War’, alluding to the partisan resistance of the Second World War. Committed by homegrown saboteurs, these acts of physical and cybersabotage aimed to disrupt the logistics of the Russian military during the initial phase of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Using digital primary source material from the opposition and regime sides, this paper gives a comprehensive description of these events. Examining mechanisms of logistics interdiction, it analyzes the impact that the ‘Rail War’ had on the Belarusian and Russian militaries.

Author

• Markus Vaher, Harvard U