Russia has launched a series of attacks on Ukraine's railways since the summer, using long-range drones to target key points, but the network is still functioning, the state railway CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia told Reuters.
"Their first aim is to sow panic among passengers, their second aim is to hit the overall economy," Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said in an interview held in a rail carriage at Kyiv's central station.
He added that there did not appear to be a particular focus on targeting military cargo.
"These are all, in essence, strikes on civilian infrastructure," he said.
Ukrzaliznytsia, the vast state-owned railway company, employs 170,000 people and has been targeted by Russia since the start of Russia's invasion three-and-a-half years ago. However, the attacks have intensified, causing regular delays.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, the railway network has been essential for people moving around Ukraine and out of the country, as all civilian flights have been stopped.
Previously, World leaders, from French President Emmanuel Macron to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former U.S. President Joe Biden, have arrived during wartime by train in Ukraine.
The rail company's popular sleeper carriages are seen as a reliable way to travel overnight and arrive early in the morning in cities many hundreds of miles away, until the latest Russian strikes caused hours-long delays for passengers.
The railway is also crucial for transporting military equipment and commercial cargo, although volumes of the latter have dropped significantly in wartime, denting the company's finances.
Pertsovskyi said the attacks, which have hit dozens of substations, were linked to the dramatic increase of long-range drones that Russia's military-industrial complex is producing.
"Previously, they simply did not have sufficient resources for a single combat drone, such as a Shahed, to hunt down a locomotive. Now they can afford to use Shaheds to hit individual locomotives rather than strategic targets."
For now, the railway is recovering from each blow, he said.
The immediate disruption to trains after an attack usually lasts six to 12 hours and electric locomotives are switched out for diesel while power is restored.
Pertsovskyi said disruption had been minimised and the transit of military cargoes had not been impacted.
"It's a marathon ... They strike us, we recover," he said. "They strike us, we recover."
Electricity substations targeted
Since the middle of summer, Russia has attacked railway electricity substations and other infrastructure nodes with an average of six to seven long-range Shahed kamikaze drones most nights, according to Pertsovskyi.
"They are ... acting systematically, knocking out one substation after another or key rail hubs in order to stop passenger trains and sow panic and distrust among the people."
Five or six key rail hubs have been bombarded since the summer, he said.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
Russia denies targeting Ukrainian civilians.
The railway also faces sabotage from agents recruited by Russia in Ukraine.
Ukraine's security services regularly announce the detention of people they accuse of plotting to blow up vulnerable points on the network.
This is less of a threat than Russian airstrikes, but sabotage is on the rise with dozens of cases recorded this year, according to Pertsovskyi.
Diesel locomotives are about five times more expensive to run per kilometre than their electric equivalents, an additional headache for a company with deep financial issues.
The World Bank estimates that roughly 30% of Ukraine's railway is in a "damage-repair" cycle.
Some bridges had been hit many times over by Russian forces throughout the war and repaired each time, but Pertsovskyi declined to specify which ones, citing security reasons. He said that the company would keep up the pace of repairs.
"If we slow down a little and let the enemy strike and destroy, then they will be even more drawn to the smell of blood."
Chinese scientists have unveiled a new gene-editing therapy that they say could lead to a functional cure for HIV, making it one of the most promising...
South Korean prosecutors have requested a 15-year prison sentence for former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who is on trial for bribery, stock manipulation ...
Serbia’s parliament has adopted a 2026 budget that sets a 3 % deficit and reserves 164 billion dinars (about $1.6 billion) for a potential state tak...
Salvador Nasralla of Honduras’ centrist Liberal Party has taken a razor-thin lead over conservative rival Nasry Asfura, the candidate backed by U.S....
Hong Kong Police said that the death toll of people killed in the Wang Fuk apartment fire has risen to 159 while giving an update on their investigation into the incident on Wednesday.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a new gene-editing therapy that they say could lead to a functional cure for HIV, making it one of the most promising developments in decades of global research.
South Korean prosecutors have requested a 15-year prison sentence for former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who is on trial for bribery, stock manipulation and fundraising offences, with a verdict due on 28 January.
Serbia’s parliament has adopted a 2026 budget that sets a 3 % deficit and reserves 164 billion dinars (about $1.6 billion) for a potential state takeover of oil firm NIS.
A four-part docuseries executive produced by Curtis '50 cent' Jackson and directed by Alexandria Stapleton on Netflix is at the centre of controversy online.
Russia has claimed a decisive breakthrough in the nearly four-year war, with the Kremlin announcing the total capture of the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk just hours before United States mediators were due to arrive in Moscow.
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed critical issues surrounding Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, the role of American mediation, and European involvement during a press conference on Monday, reaffirming France’s commitment to supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and ensuring peace in the region.
Venezuela is facing mounting diplomatic and economic isolation as regional governments, airlines and international bodies react to escalating tensions between Caracas and Washington.
French President Emmanuel Macron is in China for his fourth state visit, as Europe tries to balance economic dependence on the world’s second-largest economy.
South Korean prosecutors have requested a 15-year prison sentence for former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who is on trial for bribery, stock manipulation and fundraising offences, with a verdict due on 28 January.
Serbia’s parliament has adopted a 2026 budget that sets a 3 % deficit and reserves 164 billion dinars (about $1.6 billion) for a potential state takeover of oil firm NIS.
Hostage remains handed over by Hamas on Tuesday were found not to belong to the last two Israeli captives in Gaza, according to the office of Israel’s prime minister, after forensic teams completed their examination.
Salvador Nasralla of Honduras’ centrist Liberal Party has taken a razor-thin lead over conservative rival Nasry Asfura, the candidate backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, in a presidential election marred by delays and allegations of fraud.
The core United Nations (UN) budget could be cut by $577 million next year under a proposal from UN's Secretary-General António Guterres, who is also seeking to eliminate more than 18% of jobs.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment