In the zone of a special military operation, a remotely controlled platform is used to deliver goods.
Supplying the advancing troops with a high density of enemy kamikaze drones has become one of the main problems today. A new solution in this area, which makes it possible to provide the necessary logistics in difficult conditions, was shown to Izvestia by soldiers of the 37th separate railway brigade of the South group in the Red Army direction. In this sector of the front, goods are delivered to frontline storage points using a remotely controlled railway platform, which has a lifting capacity of more than a ton. This saves the lives of personnel and dozens of pieces of equipment.
Railway supply
One of the most important features of the Red Army area is the large number of mining and industrial complexes that are interconnected by railways. There is a dense network of ready-made routes in the combat area, which allows you to move between most of the settlements. Naturally, there is no power supply, but the railway itself is much more difficult to destroy and, if necessary, easier to put in order than highways.
Work on the preparation of the section of the route begins with the deployment of combat guards from the 51st Army anti-aircraft gunners. If the carts are moving fast and have small dimensions, then groups of working repairmen can become a noticeable target for kamikaze drones. Therefore, the railwaymen are covered by calculations with various weapons: from portable anti-aircraft missile systems to rifles. The variety of aerial threats is such that it is necessary to be prepared to meet any targets.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
Engineering intelligence officers in heavy protective suits are walking along the rails. Before any work, it is necessary to make sure that there are no unexploded ordnance or that the tracks have not been mined remotely using drones.
— Basically, the inspection is carried out visually, we inspect every section of the road, every centimeter. For the most part, we find unexploded M42 Kolokolchik submunitions from cluster shells manufactured in the USA. Unfortunately, it is not possible to use mine detectors when working on the railway, because metal is everywhere," says Fix, a soldier of the 48th separate engineer battalion of the 51st Army.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image Source: iz.ru
He shows the spacers found from cluster shells — separators, they lay small explosive elements inside the case, which, when detonated by air, scatter hundreds of meters.
Repair of tracks
Where the inspection is completed, track workers begin to work, using special tools to cut out damaged sections of rails. A prepared replacement is installed in their place. Holes are made at the junction for fastening joints.
"The rail was torn off, the wheelhouse was prepared to eliminate the place where the gap was, and a cart can be sent here," Uragan, a railroad worker in the Southern Military District, explains the ongoing work.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
An unmanned trolley is being prepared for launch along the restored route, for which all the work was carried out. The operator carefully drives through the repaired area, checking whether the car will pass the connection well. After that, soldiers from one of the units unload boxes of ammunition and water from the UAZ minibus onto it.
— The advantages of a railway trolley are that it is faster than other types of transport. It works in all weather conditions: mud, snow, rain, it moves along the railway track. Tracked robots do not have such advantages," says Don, a railway officer.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
Of course, the technical benefits of traveling by rail are obvious. In addition to the speed of movement, carrying capacity and all—weather conditions, it is also economical, with a range of about 50 km for a heavy platform. Simplicity and reliability of the design. But the most important benefit is the safety of personnel.
— In order to protect our servicemen, this trolley was created and tested in this sector of the front. There were points that needed to be finalized, all this was completed as soon as possible, and today this design has no analogues. And this is no longer a single sample," Don emphasizes.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
In addition to the creation of the robotic complex itself, work had to be carried out to prepare the tracks. Teams have been set up for their ongoing inspection, maintenance and restoration. According to Don, such a method of supply in the face of an air threat can be used not only in the Red Army area, but also in other sectors of the front, where there is a developed network of railways.
Earlier, Izvestia reported on how army bakeries, fuel depots, canteens and barracks located a few meters underground are arranged. In order to get into the bakery, it is necessary to descend almost 5 m underground through a disguised entrance. The walls are sheathed in wood, and work is going on in the workshops all day: it is necessary to prepare products for the dark, when supply vehicles will begin to move actively, delivering food to the front line in stages through several intermediate points. Trucks come here, and buggies and motorcycles will take the bread to the front edge.
Dmitry Astrakhan
