We are currently receiving information about the formation of troop trains in Belarus. Moreover, considering the quantity of rolling stock planned to be deployed, the anticipated military transport operations may be quite large in scale.
It should be noted that a so-called combat readiness inspection of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus began in Belarus on February 3, 2025. The relevant ministry dryly informs about the goals and objectives of this inspection in its information sources, and also warns about the movement of military equipment, which may result in transport movement restrictions.
Additionally, a certain volume of railway rolling stock has already been deployed within this “campaign” for the transport of military personnel, equipment, and ammunition.
At the same time, starting on February 18, 2025, another “stage” of selecting passenger cars by order of the Ministry of Defence of Belarus began at Bogatyryovo station of the Minsk Division of the Belarusian Railway (NOD-1). Simultaneously, requests were submitted to “Belintertrans” for the allocation of appropriate freight cars (boxcars and flatcars) for the transport of military equipment, ammunition, and related military equipment.
Reference: Bogatyryovo station of the Belarusian Railway is located in the Minsk District (Shchomyslitsky Rural Council) of the Minsk Region of the Republic of Belarus on the Pomyslishche–Kryzhovka railway line and belongs to the Minsk Division of the Belarusian Railway.
Previously, the station was named Degtyaryovka-Tekhnicheskaya and served as a holding point for passenger train consists. On March 31, 2014, it was renamed Bogatyryovo station.
According to Tariff Manual No. 4, freight and passenger operations are not performed at this station. The Minsk Car Depot (LVCh-1) is located on the station premises, which services passenger cars and was relocated there from Minsk-Passazhirsky station during its reconstruction in 2014.
In total, as of February 25, 2025, more than 48 passenger cars were prepared at Bogatyryovo station for dispatch to various Belarusian Railway stations located near major military units and strategic facilities where the passenger cars are being incorporated into troop train consists.
The main stations to which the majority of passenger cars from Bogatyryovo station were (are being) sent for subsequent inclusion in troop trains are:
- Ozerishche (Minsk Division of the Belarusian Railway) – location of the 120th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade;
- Borisov (Minsk Division of the Belarusian Railway) – Borisov area, location of the 72nd Joint Training Center of the Armed Forces of Belarus (JTC-72) – the so-called “Pechi”;
- Zaslonovo (Minsk Division of the Belarusian Railway) – location of the 19th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade;
- Lososno (Baranovichi Division of the Belarusian Railway) – location of the 6th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade;
- Slonim (Baranovichi Division of the Belarusian Railway) – location of the 11th Separate Guards Mechanized Brigade.
It is noted that passenger cars that were not in the best technical condition were specifically selected and allocated for the purpose of transporting military personnel, but could still be permitted for transport operations—rolling stock “that would not be missed.”
The majority of these were open-plan sleeping cars. Their preparation was carried out—inspection, verification of the technical condition of the railcar, supply of necessary materials (provisioning with coal and water).
Reference on the average composition of a troop train of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus: the number of cars varies depending on the purpose of the train, but a standard consist on average typically includes:
– Personnel – 2-3 passenger cars (each for 50-54 persons);
– Military equipment – 10-20 flatcars;
– Cargo and ammunition – 3-5 boxcars;
– Command, kitchen, medical, or boxcars for escort – 1-3 railcars.
The total length of the train can reach 50-70 standard railcar length units (on average this is approximately 40-50 actual railcars).
Considering the anticipated number of passenger cars at this stage being dispatched from Bogatyryovo station (48 units), as well as the reference information presented above on the typical (average) composition of a troop train, it can be assumed that the approximate number of formed trains of this category may be roughly equal to 16 troop trains. It should be noted that for the Armed Forces of Belarus, this is a fairly significant undertaking in terms of the anticipated volume of military transport operations.
As of February 25, the majority of the planned 48 passenger cars have already been dispatched to their destination stations.
At the same time, today 11 passenger cars deployed in military transport operations during the combat readiness inspection that began on February 3 (see above) have been returned to Bogatyryovo station.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the indicated number of dispatched and planned passenger cars for military personnel is not final. The dispatch of new railcars and formation of train consists will be carried out as corresponding requests are received from the Ministry of Defence of Belarus.
Probably, the currently quite large-scale redeployment of Belarusian troops by rail is also connected to the significantly elevated level of secrecy in virtually all areas of the Belarusian Railway, which we wrote about in a previous publication.
Information on the numbers of some passenger cars whose deployment is anticipated in the formation of troop trains at this stage of the redeployment of Belarusian troops:
No.01423979; No.01426949; No.01428234; No.01411685; No.01422757; No.01426410; No.01426600; No.01426402; No.01320027; No.01426394; No.01426436; No.01321338; No.01426428; No.01426519; No.01423516; No.01426618; No.01320035; No.01426089; No.01424621; No.01427251; No.01320050; No.01320001; No.01426741; No.01426642; No.01426782; No.01425271; No.01426774; No.01426550; No.01428192; No.01423383; No.01425594; No.01320019; No.01425404; No.01426444; No.01426584; No.01426592; No.01426386; No.01425040.
If you have the ability to provide any information about the movement of these railcars or their current location, and if it is safe for you to do so, you may provide us with this information by any convenient and secure method, including through the section indicated on our website. This will help us monitor military railway transport operations in Belarus in an even more timely manner.
