A Treacherous Tactic: The War in Ukraine Enters a New Deadly Phase

Russian occupiers continue their cynical hunt for trains on peaceful Ukrainian territory. Russia has opened a new deadly phase in its war against Ukraine and is deliberately striking the rail network. During recent strikes on Kyiv on 1 September, six Ukrzaliznytsia employees were killed when a ballistic missile hit a locomotive. The Russians struck other railway facilities, The Guardian reports. “An unbearably hard night for the entire railway family. Railway staff have been working at the scene since early morning. The attack caused significant damage. Rescuers are still putting out a number of fires,” wrote Ukrzaliznytsia head Oleksandr Pertsovskyi. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion 58 railway employees have been killed and at least 318 have been wounded. The railway was “the cartilage of Ukraine’s economy.” It was the main logistics supplier for the army and the country’s industry, and it transported 600,000 people every week. With 170,000 employees, it was also the largest company in Ukraine, said Serhii Leshchenko, a member of the carrier’s supervisory board. For these reasons Russia has tried to destroy the railways. In the first year of the war bridges were attacked, which could be easily replaced. Next came strikes aimed at tracks and electrical substations. Then Ukraine switched to using diesel engines. This year Russia began “direct attacks on civilian locomotives” — a treacherous tactic at a time when Ukraine lacks sufficient air defense, Leshchenko said. If a drone appeared within 50 km of a train, it had to be evacuated; the service could continue only after the threat passed. Until this year Russia hit the carrier’s network more than 1500 times — a figure higher than in the entire 2025 year. In total 249 cars and 492 locomotives have been damaged. Once known for their punctuality, trains now suffer regular delays, sometimes lasting from 12 to 15 hours. Against the background of air raid sirens, passengers are forced to disembark and take shelter, including in winter. Ukraine’s rail network is the third largest in Europe, with 24,000 kilometers of track. It has been a lifeline for the country’s civilians, transporting four million people and an estimated 120,000 pets. The carrier brought world leaders to Kyiv, including Joe Biden and Andy Burnham. Recall that the Russians strike Ukrzaliznytsia’s infrastructure and rolling stock. Last week an enemy drone crashed into a train in Odesa region with 600 people on board, including 15 children.