Russia is increasingly targeting Ukrainian passenger trains with drones, thereby threatening the railway network – infrastructure that is vital to the country’s economy, military logistics, and civilian transport – reports Politico.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian strikes have damaged more than 500 locomotives, with over 60% of that damage occurring in the last eight months alone. Ukrainian Railways is losing between 37 and 40 locomotives per month. The Russian Ministry of Defence has acknowledged targeting trains, describing the tactic as part of a strategy to destroy the Ukrainian logistics network used for transporting weaponry.
Ukrainian officials have noted that the campaign has broader objectives. Russia is reportedly seeking to isolate communities near the front lines, sow panic and fear among a local population already facing exhaustion, and paralyze the economy.
Russia began targeting passenger trains last autumn after acquiring network antennas. The technology allows drones to relay signals to one another or connect to ground-based transmitters in Belarus or Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories; this enables operators to control them in real-time—despite electronic jamming—and strike moving targets, such as trains. Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian state railway operator JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, stated that last autumn, Russian forces struck a train near Lozova in the Kharkiv region, killing six people. Evacuation protocols have been implemented since then; while most people are saved, the country continues to lose locomotives.
Russia primarily uses jet-powered drones to target trains,
a threat Ukraine is unable to fully counter. While the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence develops solutions to combat these drones, JSC Ukrzaliznytsia is creating an integrated transport model to move passengers by bus when trains are halted or hit. Although most attacks occur within 200 kilometers of the contact line with the Russian border or Russian army positions—thereby disproportionately affecting eastern and southern Ukraine—Moscow has expanded both the geographical scope of its operations and its choice of targets.
Pertsovskyi noted that the Russians are now using antennas and transmitters in Belarus to launch strikes on western Ukraine as well. This expansion of the geographical scope was clearly evident last weekend, when a Russian drone struck a train at a station near the Polish border—a station that had recently been departed by European security advisors and former national leaders, including former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Although the diplomats were already in Poland at the time of the strike, JSC Ukrzaliznytsia indicated that the actual target was very likely the diplomatic train, which had left the station slightly earlier than scheduled. Pertsovskyi stated that the recent strikes near the Polish border demonstrate a Russian intent to increase the risk for foreign guests, partners, diplomats, politicians, and journalists. The Russians want people to be afraid to travel to Ukraine, as they are infuriated by the fact that, despite efforts to enforce total isolation, Ukraine remains open and connected to the rest of the world.
Yuliia Chykolba, Director of the Ukrainian Information Resilience Center, was traveling by train from Kyiv to Chełm, Poland, on the day of the strike. She said she arrived at her destination seven hours behind schedule, having been forced to evacuate twice due to the drone threat. The evacuation process was reportedly very organized: staff instructed passengers to leave the carriages and move as far away from the train as possible. Passengers then saw drones approaching—the very same ones that later struck the train near the border. Due to the delay, Chykolba missed his flight and arrived in the Netherlands 12 hours later than originally planned.
Ukraine is in critical need of funds to repair or replace locomotives.
Each new locomotive costs around five million euros. Pertsovskyi stated that repairing locomotives is the top priority, requiring spare parts, materials, and personnel to ensure continuous repair operations. He emphasized that while Ukraine has reliable partners providing financial assistance, the rate at which trains are being destroyed far outpaces the available funding. Money is not the only issue; JSC Ukrzaliznytsia operates on a 1,520-millimeter gauge network, whereas the standard gauge in Europe is 1,435 millimeters, limiting the amount of rolling stock partners can quickly transfer to Ukraine. Similar equipment is used only in the Baltic states and Finland. Lithuania has also pledged to send locomotives to Ukraine as part of a winter aid package. Pertsovskyi reported that Ukraine is also cooperating with other partners.
Meanwhile, JSC Ukrzaliznytsia is preparing for various scenarios. Pertsovskyi noted that various operational plans have been developed to balance safety, but a complete suspension of operations is not being considered. Just as Ukraine has no intention of surrendering, its railway system does not plan to come to a complete halt.
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