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."
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission...
Iran says the first wave of attacks on Israel since April's ceasefire has ended, but warned of further strikes if Israel continues military action in ...
Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy and food security following high-level meetings held during the St Pete...
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the U.S. would bear direct responsibility for any escalation in West Asia a...
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedric...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy and food security following high-level meetings held during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the U.S. would bear direct responsibility for any escalation in West Asia after Iran and Israel resumed strikes for the first time since the April ceasefire.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for high-level talks in Westminster focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
For about three decades after the Soviet collapse, Armenia anchored its foreign and security policy to Moscow.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for high-level talks in Westminster focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
A French Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday (8 June), triggering security alerts and renewing concerns about the impact of the war in Ukraine on NATO's eastern flank.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they prepared for the tournament's opening match.
A city north of Tokyo has suspended classes at all 94 of its primary and middle schools after its first-ever reported bear sighting, amid growing concern over increasing encounters between bears and people across Japan.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment