The head of Ukraine’s railways has reported a concerning escalation in Russian air strikes targeting the country’s railway infrastructure, amidst fears of isolating frontline communities as winter approaches. Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the CEO of Ukrainian Railways, highlighted that recent drone strikes have become increasingly precise, creating significant challenges for Ukrainian defenses against these assaults.
On Saturday, two passenger trains in the northeastern Sumy region were struck by Russian drones, resulting in one fatality and dozens of injuries. Pertsovsky emphasized the nature of these attacks, stating there is “no military purpose whatsoever.” Instead, he asserted that their aim is to instill panic among the civilian population, suggesting that the disruption of communication and transport links could leave people feeling abandoned.
While addressing reporters from a train bound for Shostka, the site of one of the strikes, Pertsovsky revealed that there have been around 40 serious incidents affecting railroad infrastructure since August, occurring almost every other day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Saturday’s attack, describing it as “savage,” and shared grim visuals of a train carriage engulfed in flames, with the wreckage illustrating the extent of destruction.
Zelensky pointed out that the targeting of civilian areas indicated a blatant disregard for human life by Russian forces. The ongoing war has seen consistent assaults on Ukraine’s railways since the invasion began in February 2022, a pattern that has not seen a single week without such attacks. A particularly deadly incident in April 2022 at Kramatorsk left over 60 individuals dead while they awaited evacuation.
Pertsovsky expressed alarm over the advanced precision of Russian weapons, expressing that without effective air defense systems, future attacks could lead to catastrophic outcomes. He specifically noted the threat posed by Iranian-designed Shahed drones, which have been effective at pinpointing individual locomotives and vital energy infrastructure, rendering many protective measures ineffective.
As winter conditions approach, there has been a marked increase in Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Earlier in the week, Russia executed its largest strike on Ukraine’s gas facilities, while attacks on Saturday left approximately 50,000 households without power in the northern Chernigiv region. The intensification of hostilities raises significant concerns for the safety and well-being of Ukrainian civilians as they face both military aggression and the threat of harsh winter conditions.
