Ukraine’s railway infrastructure has been struck around 1,200 times in 2025, more than the previous two years combined, as Russia intensifies attacks on transport networks, officials said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
Speaking at an industry conference, Oleg Yakovenko of Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s national railway, said the scale of attacks reflects a broader shift in Russian targeting toward rail logistics, which remain essential for civilian movement and wartime supply chains.
17,300 sites hit and 9,900 destroyed since the full-scale invasion
Yakovenko said that since the start of the full-scale invasion, about 17,300 railway infrastructure sites and rail vehicles have been struck, with roughly 7,300 damaged and around 9,900 destroyed.
Yakovenko also said 40 railway workers have been killed while carrying out their duties since 2022.
"These are not military targets"
“These are not military targets,” Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksii Kuleba said in February following attacks on Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
“Russia is systematically hitting our logistics to try to paralyze the region’s economy.”
300 locomotives hit, 50 destroyed beyond repair
Deputy Minister of Community and Territory Development Oleksii Balesta said more than 300 locomotives have been hit since the start of the war, with around 50 completely destroyed beyond repair.
He said the rail system requires sustained investment as attacks continue to disrupt both freight and passenger services.
Officials also said Russia carried out 352 strikes on rail infrastructure between early March and April this year alone, while more than 20 depots have been hit since the invasion began, according to Interfax-Ukraine reporting.
Centralized monitoring system aims for 90-second response time
A centralized monitoring system is reportedly being developed to detect threats and reduce response time to under 90 seconds, allowing faster evacuation of passengers and improved coordination of railway dispatchers.
Officials said damage to the rail network since early 2025 and into early 2026 includes hundreds of locomotives and rail cars, as well as dozens of bridges and stations.
Trains emerge as primary target in recent months
Ukrainian authorities say the railway system remains a key target due to its role in logistics, evacuation routes, and national economic stability, with attacks increasingly concentrated near frontline regions.
Ukrzaliznytsia has previously reported that trains and related railway equipment are now among the main targets of Russian strikes.
In one March 2026 wave, multiple trains were hit within 24 hours, including a drone strike on a passenger carriage in Mykolaiv and a near-miss on a passenger locomotive on the Dnipro–Kovel route.
Railway officials said strikes on trains have averaged about six per day since early March.
