Up to 40 locomotives per month: Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian railways

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian railways, increasingly using drones against passenger trains and locomotives. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 500 locomotives have been damaged or destroyed, with over 60% of the losses occurring in the last 8 months.

Politico writes about this.

According to Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the chairman of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia, the company is currently losing 37 to 40 locomotives every month. Russia claims that the strikes on the railway are aimed at disrupting Ukrainian logistics, including the transportation of Western military aid.

At the same time, Ukrzaliznytsia believes that the Russian attacks have a broader purpose.

“The Russians seek to isolate our frontline communities, sow panic and fear among the already exhausted local residents, and paralyze the economy,” Pertsovsky said.

Russia began to more actively attack passenger trains in the fall of 2025 after receiving antennas for mesh networks. According to Pertsovsky, this allows operators to control drones in real time even while Ukrainian electronic warfare equipment is operating.

“We manage to save most of the people, but the Russians continue to destroy our locomotives,” Pertsovsky said.

While previously the bulk of attacks fell on railways within about 200 km of the front, recently strikes have also been recorded in the western regions of Ukraine. In particular, a Russian drone attacked a train near the Polish border.

The restoration of damaged locomotives requires significant funds, and a new locomotive costs about 5 million euros. The rapid receipt of assistance from European partners is also complicated by the difference in track width: in Ukraine it is 1520 mm, and in most European countries – 1435 mm.

Despite the attacks, Ukrzaliznytsia is not considering suspending the railway’s operations and continues to prepare for various scenarios.

Recall that on Wednesday, September 16, Russian occupation forces attacked a passenger train Kyiv-Mykolaiv . Passengers and the train crew managed to evacuate, so no one was injured.

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