Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Since the summer, Russia has launched a large-scale wave of attacks on Ukraine’s railways, employing new tactics such as long-range drones to target critical points. However, the network remains operational for now, the CEO of the state railway company told Reuters news agency.
“Their first aim is to sow panic among passengers, their second aim is to hit the overall economy,”
Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said. There did not seem to be a particular priority on targeting military cargo.
“These are all, in essence, strikes on civilian infrastructure,”
He said.
According to Reuters, Ukrzaliznytsia, the large state-owned railway operator, employs 170,000 people and has faced increasing Russian attacks since the invasion began three and a half years ago. These attacks have intensified over time, leading to frequent delays.
What role does the railway play during wartime?
Since the onset of the war in February 2022, the railway system has served as a vital lifeline for people traveling within Ukraine and abroad, as all civilian flights have been suspended. The railway plays a vital role in moving military gear and commercial freight, though wartime has caused a sharp decline in cargo volumes, impacting the company’s financial health.
World leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and former U.S. President Joe Biden, have arrived in Ukraine by train during wartime. The rail company’s popular sleeper carriages are considered a dependable option for overnight travel, allowing passengers to arrive early in the morning in distant cities—until the recent Russian offensive started causing delays of several hours.
Pertsovskyi stated that the attacks, which targeted dozens of substations, are connected to the sharp rise in long-range drones manufactured by Russia’s military-industrial complex. Russian forces repeatedly hit several bridges during the war and repaired them each time.
When did Russia launch the most devastating attack onthe Ukrainian railway?
On August 5, 2025, the largest and most devastating Russian strike against infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s railway system took place in Lozova, a major railway hub in eastern Ukraine. This attack involved dozens of drone strikes—a total of 34 drones—that inflicted acute damage to the train station and nearby rail depot. Two people were killed as a result of the strike, including one railway worker, and 13 others were injured, including two children.
