Russia targets Ukraine’s rail network as war enters deadly new phase
Six employees killed on Tuesday after Moscow escalates attacks on infrastructure and Ukrainian capital
TL;DR
- Russia is deliberately targeting Ukraine's railway network, marking a new and deadly phase of the war.
- Six railway employees were killed in a missile strike on a locomotive depot in Kyiv.
- The attacks are part of an intensified bombardment of Kyiv and the surrounding region, with at least 12 deaths reported.
- Ukraine's state-owned railway company has reported 58 staff killed and 318 injured since the full-scale invasion.
- The railway network is crucial for transporting civilians, serving as a lifeline during the conflict, and also supports the economy and military logistics.
- Russia has escalated its tactics from attacking bridges to targeting rails, electricity substations, and now directly striking civilian locomotives and depots.
- The railway system faces regular delays, with passengers forced to take cover during air raids.
- Journalists and passengers recount terrifying experiences of hiding during drone attacks on trains.
- The strikes are impacting Ukraine's economy, particularly the export of grain, and Kyiv is requesting more air defenses from Western partners.
- Recent Russian attacks have involved a high volume of drones, paralyzing ordinary life and making air raid sirens constant in Kyiv.