Crimean Tatar activists seek to undermine Russian military operations

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Ukrainian Resistance Group Atesh Claims Responsibility for Sabotage Operations

A Ukrainian resistance group called Atesh has announced that it has trained thousands of people, including Russian soldiers, in sabotage operations. On the weekend, a power cut shut down a train line carrying Russian weapons and supplies to the front line through the region of Bryansk in western Russia near the Ukrainian border.

According to Atesh, the blackout was caused by a fire at a nearby substation set by an agent of the group. The organization stated that it targets the weak points of the enemy’s power grid, paralysing their rear.

Atesh has emerged as one of the most prolific partisan groups in Ukraine, claiming responsibility for more than half of the sabotage attacks on Russian-controlled territory last year. The group was founded in September 2022, seven months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its western neighbour.

The organization’s coordinator stated that Atesh is currently involved in a war of attrition and that internal resistance is becoming decisive. They claimed that the occupiers cannot guard every truck or every metre of rail in their rear.

Atesh’s members include Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusians. The group’s goal is to ensure that every Russian soldier on Ukrainian soil feels unsafe, reducing their logistics, equipment, and headquarters to ashes.

Sabotage operations have been taking place on Russian territory since the invasion of Ukraine began. Railroad infrastructure and supply trains for Russian troops have become popular targets for saboteurs seeking to slow down the Kremlin’s war machine.

According to research manager Olha Polishchuk, sabotage operations are often coordinated by Ukrainian intelligence and conducted by individuals or groups recruited online. Atesh was responsible for more than 50 percent of the acts of sabotage in Russian-occupied Ukraine in 2025, with dozens of its operations reported within Russia.

The impact of these sabotage activities is difficult to estimate, but they can cause inconveniences and resupply delays, which can accumulate and force Russia to spend additional resources.

Source: Al Jazeera