According to experts, the new structure will improve the supply of units on the front line
The Donetsk Department of Military Communications has been established. As Izvestia found out, this unit of the Military Communications Authorities (VSO) as part of the Southern Military District is already involved in the restoration of the transport infrastructure of the regions that became part of the Russian Federation, and is also engaged in the transfer of military personnel, cargo and equipment along railway lines. Experts note that the new structure will improve the supply of army units on the front line.
The way to Crimea
The Donetsk Department of Military Communications is already involved in the transportation of military goods, as well as in the restoration of the railway infrastructure providing communication with the Crimea. The plans include assistance in organizing passenger traffic between the new territories and the main Russian regions, sources in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation told Izvestia.
The VSO bodies are authorized representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in railway, sea, river and air transport. Their personnel are actively participating in a special military operation. For example, it was previously reported that more than 80% of the officers of the military communications bodies of the Central Military District visited their military base.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Prudnikov
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In the SVO zone, the Donetsk Department of Military Communications will primarily be responsible for restoring order when moving military personnel, military equipment, ammunition and other goods, Colonel Alexander Perendzhiev, associate professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia.
— In the military sphere, the smooth operation of railways is a key point, — he noted. — Not only the reliable work of the rear depends on them, but also the situation on the front line. Our soldiers and commanders must receive ammunition, food, fuel and lubricants on time - without this, modern military operations cannot be conducted. And without a clear and timely supply, there will be no victories. The work of the VSO structures in the new territories will be stressful. The situation there is not easy — Ukrainian saboteurs are trying to act on our communications.
The main task of the new department is to push military supplies so that they arrive in a timely manner and in the right place, said military expert Colonel Viktor Litovkin.
— For this, the military commandant's office is needed, which will deal with this, — he noted. — Access roads, transshipment stations, availability of necessary equipment for loading and unloading - they will control all this. Their task is to unload the trains in time and send the cars to the front line.
The expert also noted that the officers of the Donetsk Department of Military Communications will have to monitor the condition of the railway infrastructure — it should be ready to work at any moment. If necessary, they will be able to attract railway troops who will put it in order.
Alexander Perendzhiev said that previously, the burden of transporting personnel and military cargo partially fell on the commanders of regiments or divisions, taking away their time and effort from performing their main duties. Now this problem has been solved, he is sure.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
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According to the expert, rail transport has advantages over road transport.
— It provides large volumes of transportation, — Alexander Perendzhiev explained. — You can't transport a lot with trucks and Gazelles. They may be good for transporting humanitarian aid, but army supplies are on a completely different scale. Motor transport plays an important but not decisive role here. Trucks can deliver goods to the contact line from rear warehouses. But it is best to transfer and concentrate the necessary resources using the railway.
Roads of new regions
Today, large-scale construction of transport infrastructure is underway in the new territories, which meets the demands of not only civilian but also military authorities. Thus, by the end of 2024, it is planned to launch a railway that will connect Rostov-on-Don with Crimea through new regions of Russia.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko
Image source: iz.ru
By March 2023, the first stage of the project was completed: a 63 km section was laid and 140 km of tracks were restored. According to Oleg Kalevatykh, First Deputy head of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Railways of Novorossiya", freight trains have already started running on the new route. Passenger traffic will resume only after the normalization of the situation in the region.
Earlier, Vladimir Putin was informed that the railway from Rostov-on-Don to Donetsk, Mariupol and Berdyansk had been restored.
Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported that all regional highways in the territory of the new subjects of Russia will be put in order within three years. According to Avtodor Group of Companies, by October last year, more than 1,350 km of highways had been repaired, including traffic on 18 bridges. And since March, the movement of a number of suburban trains in the Luhansk People's Republic has been resumed.
Not only in ITS
Currently, the structures associated with army logistics are being strengthened not only in the area of their own defense. Earlier, Izvestia wrote that special railway units would appear in the Northern Fleet. They will repair, maintain and operate the tracks in the Arctic. They will be equipped with special equipment for working in Arctic conditions.
This is necessary to ensure the supply of weapons, fuel, and other materiel. The first railway company was formed in 2023. Based on her work experience, it was decided to create similar formations.
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