Over 500 locomotives have been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks: Sybiha has called on partners to provide urgent assistance with replacements
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian strikes have damaged or completely destroyed more than 500 locomotives in Ukraine, with more than half of these losses occurring in 2026 alone. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called on partners to provide urgent assistance in replacing the rolling stock.
Sybiha reported this on the social media platform X, according to Censor.NET.
As the minister pointed out, Russia is systematically attacking Ukraine’s railway infrastructure in an attempt to disrupt logistics across the country.
On the night of 15 September, a Russian strike on railway infrastructure in the Volyn region, near the border with Poland, directly hit another locomotive.
According to Sybiha, the railway remains critical to Ukraine’s functioning: it is used to evacuate civilians from frontline areas and to transport essential goods, grain and other commodities.
"To ensure that this vital artery continues to function, Ukraine urgently needs a replacement. We call on all our partners to immediately assist us in finding locomotives compatible with the 1,520 mm track gauge, as well as in providing funding to speed up the procurement of new ones," said the Foreign Minister.
Sybiha emphasised that supporting the stable operation of the Ukrainian railways is essential, in particular, to prevent a humanitarian crisis and strengthen the country’s resilience in the context of the war.
- As previously reported by Censor.NET, on 13 September a Russian drone attacked the locomotive of a passenger train near the border with Poland. The train was carrying diplomats and politicians. Ukrzaliznytsia suggested that the train itself may have been the target of the Russian drone.
