Russia is escalating a systematic campaign to cripple Ukraine's railway infrastructure, with attacks on the network tripling in recent months, according to senior Ukrainian officials. This strategic shift aims to sever one of Kyiv's most critical logistical arteries, vital for moving troops, humanitarian aid, and the nation's economy.
A Coordinated Assault on Vital Infrastructure
Oleksii Kuleba, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Infrastructure, revealed stark new figures detailing the assault. Since the start of 2025, there have been more than 800 separate attacks on railway infrastructure, damaging over 3,000 railway objects. The financial toll is staggering, with total damage estimated at a colossal $1 billion (£760 million).
"If you compare just the last three months, attacks have increased three times over," Kuleba stated. He emphasised a chilling new tactic, noting, "What we have seen in these escalating attacks is that they are going after trains, especially trying to kill the drivers."
The Lifeline of a Nation Under Fire
The importance of Ukraine's railways cannot be overstated. In a vast country where civilian airports remain shuttered, the rail network is the backbone of transport. Official statistics show it carries more than 63% of the nation's freight, including crucial grain exports, and 37% of all passenger traffic. It is also a primary conduit for foreign military assistance and the route by which most world leaders and citizens enter or exit the country.
Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, head of Ukrainian State Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia), explained the increasing precision of the attacks. "It's not just about the quantity, it's also the approach of the enemy forces," he said. "Now, as they have very precise Shahed drones, they are targeting individual locomotives."
Frontline Stories and National Resilience
The human and physical cost of this bombardment is visible at stations like the one in Lozova, in the Kharkiv region, where the main building was severely damaged in a drone strike. Station head Tetyana Tkachenko recounted the terror of a night-time attack. "It was night and everyone was sleeping. I woke up from the huge explosion... It was clear they were targeting the station. They wanted to do it. And they did it."
She explained the strategic reason for targeting Lozova: its position as a major junction connecting four key directions, including Dnipro, Sloviansk, Poltava, and Kharkiv. These lines are used for passenger traffic, freight, and vital military support, including evacuating wounded soldiers from the eastern front.
Despite the constant threat, resilience prevails. Passengers continue to queue for tickets and board trains across the country. Oleksandr Podvarchansky, responsible for tracks in the Lozova area, detailed the safety protocols. "Every single air alarm, we have to stop and use a bomb shelter. If there is a train on the tracks we move it to the nearest station so people can evacuate."
Ukrainian forces are fighting back with enhanced protective measures. These include equipping trains with electronic warfare systems to counter drone strikes and raising dedicated air defence teams from among railway staff themselves.
Deputy Prime Minister Kuleba outlined Russia's three primary objectives: destroying southern logistics to block goods from reaching seaports, disrupting rail traffic near frontlines in Chernihiv and Sumy, and "destroying everything" in the industrial Donbas heartland.
While damaged tracks can often be repaired within a day, the destruction of rolling stock presents a graver long-term challenge. Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military and drone expert, warned in a recent interview, "If the Russians keep hitting diesel and electric locomotives, the time will come very soon when the track will still be intact but we'll have nothing left to run on it." As Russian drone technology advances, extending their range and sophistication, more of Ukraine's vital railway lifeline falls into the crosshairs.
