Ukraine’s Rail Lifeline Under Fire as Russia Triples Attacks on Locomotives

Russia has dramatically escalated its attacks on Ukraine’s railway network, increasingly targeting locomotives and their crews.

The Gaze reports this, referring to The Guardian.

According to Deputy Prime Minister for Infrastructure Oleksiy Kuleba, Russia has tripled its strikes on rail infrastructure since July. The resulting damage in 2025 alone has already reached an estimated $1 billion. 

Since January, Russian forces have launched more than 800 attacks on Ukrzaliznytsia facilities, damaging over 3,000 key infrastructure nodes.

Kuleba said Russian drones are now being used not only to destroy rail assets but to deliberately hunt down train drivers. “They are intentionally aiming for locomotives to kill crew members and shut down critical routes,” he noted.

Ukrzaliznytsia CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi confirmed that Russia is increasingly relying on upgraded Shahed drones capable of hitting specific moving targets.

Ukraine’s railways serve as the backbone of the nation’s wartime logistics. They carry 63% of all freight and over a third of passengers, while also ensuring the steady flow of humanitarian and military aid across the country. 

With civilian airports closed since February 2022, trains remain the only viable route for diplomats and international delegations entering Ukraine.

Kuleba outlined three objectives behind Russia’s intensified campaign: disrupting southern logistics to choke off trade routes to Ukrainian ports, isolating border regions in Chernihiv and Sumy, and devastating Donbas transport links, which support the region’s industrial sector.

While damaged rails are often repaired within 24 hours, Ukraine faces a more serious, long-term threat: the loss of locomotives. Railway experts warn that if Russia continues systematically targeting engines, Ukraine’s transport network could grind to a halt even if tracks remain intact.

“Trains are slow and predictable — the easiest target you can imagine,” military analyst Serhiy Beskrestnov said. “If Russia keeps striking diesel and electric locomotives, the day will come when the tracks are fine, but we simply have nothing left to run.”

As The Gaze reported earlier, Russian forces carried out a deadly drone strike on the railway station in the northern Ukrainian city of Shostka, hitting a passenger train bound for Kyiv and injuring dozens of people.

Read more on The Gaze: Russia’s War on Ukraine: An Unprecedented Act of Genocide Targeting Ukraine’s National Identity and Existence