Key facts
- More than half of all Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian locomotives since the full-scale invasion have occurred this year.
- In September, 5,831 trains were evacuated due to Russian drone attacks, averaging 205 per day.
- Attacks on Ukrzaliznytsia's rolling stock and stations have risen sharply, with nearly 60% of 521 hit locomotives struck this year.
- Overall attacks on railway facilities increased from 1,206 in 2025 to 1,700 so far this year.
- Eight railway employees have been killed this year, including six in a ballistic missile strike on a Kyiv locomotive depot.
Ukrainian passengers are facing increasing disruption and long delays as Russian drone attacks on the country's railway network intensify. Since the end of last year, more than half of all strikes on locomotives have occurred in 2026 alone, according to state-owned operator Ukrzaliznytsia.
Journeys are being interrupted by air raid alerts, forcing emergency evacuations of passengers from trains, often far from the front lines. Yuliia Ponomarenko, a marketing specialist, described being evacuated from her train near the Ukraine-Poland border last month, with passengers waiting for six hours while a fire was put out. Anastasiia Ryvbalchenko recounted an incident on September 16 where her train was evacuated at 4 a.m. due to nearby drone activity, followed by an explosion and further evacuations.
Ukrzaliznytsia reported that in September alone, 5,831 trains had to be evacuated, averaging 205 per day. The company's CEO, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, stated that the life of passengers and crew is the utmost priority, despite the railway's historical punctuality. Russia's defense ministry denies targeting civilians, claiming attacks are aimed at military transport infrastructure.
Statistics from Ukrzaliznytsia show a sharp rise in attacks on rolling stock and stations. Of the 521 locomotives hit since the invasion began, nearly 60% have been struck this year. Overall attacks on railway facilities have increased from 1,206 in 2025 to 1,700 so far this year. Pertsovskyi described the situation as an "extremely intense" cat-and-mouse game, with recent drones equipped with AI and image recognition capable of hitting moving targets.
The railway operator is implementing measures to confront this threat, including real-time monitoring from an underground bunker dubbed the "Iron Command Centre." Passenger and freight trains are tracked on screens, and any train within a 100km radius of a detected drone is evacuated. Precautions have reportedly kept casualties low, with eight employees killed this year, six in a ballistic missile strike on a Kyiv locomotive depot.
With winter approaching, Ukrzaliznytsia is preparing for evacuations in extreme cold, developing winter evacuation packs, mobile shelters, and bus services. Pertsovskyi expressed determination to keep the country connected despite the challenges.