Russia Intensifies Attacks on Ukrainian Trains

Ukraine is facing a dramatic increase in attacks on its railway system as Russia targets one of the country's most vital pieces of infrastructure.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba, there have been 800 attacks on railway infrastructure since the beginning of 2025, damaging more than 3,000 railway objects. The attacks have caused $1 billion in damage. Most concerning is the recent escalation: attacks have increased three times over in the last three months compared to July. September saw twice as many attacks as August, and remarkably, half of all railway attacks since the war began have occurred in just the past two months.

Ukraine's 21,000-kilometre railway network is essential for the country's survival. With no civilian airports operating since the invasion, trains are the only way most people can travel in or out of the country. The railways carry 63% of the nation's freight, including crucial grain shipments, and 37% of passenger traffic. Foreign military assistance often arrives by train, and visiting world leaders must also travel by rail - a practice Ukrainians call "iron diplomacy."

Russia's strategy has become increasingly sophisticated. Using precise Shahed drones, Russian forces now target individual locomotives rather than just infrastructure. Military experts say trains are particularly vulnerable because they move slowly and follow predictable routes. Russia has three main objectives: destroying southern logistics to prevent goods reaching seaports, disrupting rail traffic near the frontlines in regions like Chernihiv and Sumy, and attempting to destroy everything in the eastern Donbas region.

The human cost has been significant. At Shostka station in the Sumy region, a drone struck a train, injuring 30 people including three children. When rescue workers arrived to help, a second drone attacked them - a tactic known as a "double tap." Train conductor Olha Zolotova was severely injured when her train was hit. "I was covered in rubble. There was fire everywhere," she recalled from her hospital bed, where she recovered from hip surgery.

Ukraine is responding with various countermeasures. Trains are being equipped with electronic systems to defend against drones, and railway staff are being trained in air defence. When sirens sound, trains immediately stop and move to the nearest station for passenger evacuation. Despite the challenges, railway officials maintain their goal of never cancelling a service.

While tracks can typically be repaired within a day, damage to locomotives is more serious. As one expert warned, "The time will come when the track will be intact but we'll have nothing left to run on it." Ukrainian officials are calling on international allies to provide stronger air defence systems as the country prepares for what could be its hardest winter yet.