Three sabotage attacks on Italian railways on first day of Olympics
Saboteurs damaged railway infrastructure near the northern Italian city of Bologna on Saturday morning, disrupting train services on the first full day of the Winter Olympics, Reuters reported, citing the Italian transport ministry.
Police reported three separate incidents at different locations, causing delays of up to 2.5 hours for high-speed, intercity and regional trains. Officers found a house with a track switch set on fire near the city of Pesaro. Hours later, severed electrical cables used to determine train speeds were found in Bologna, and an improvised explosive device was planted near the tracks at a nearby location.
"These unprecedentedly serious actions in no way spoil Italy's image in the world, an image that the Games will make even more convincing and positive," the Ministry of Transport said.
Reuters notes that Bologna is an important hub for Italy's east-west railway lines, as well as a key hub connecting the south with northern cities such as Milan and Venice. At the same time, Milan is a co-organizer of the winter games along with Cortina, which can be reached by train from Venice.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the mascot of the 2026 Winter Olympics was a stylized ermine named Tina, who represents the spirit of the modern Olympics and combines traditions and a new approach to organizing the Games.