Ukraine's foreign minister appeals for locomotives after 500+ lost to Russian strikes
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on partner countries to urgently supply locomotives compatible with the 1520 mm broad gauge and provide financing for new units, after Russian attacks damaged or destroyed more than 500 locomotives since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than half of them in 2024 alone. He pointed to a Russian strike on railway infrastructure in Volyn Oblast near the Polish border on the night of 15 September that directly hit another locomotive.
Key points
- Sybiha stated that more than 500 locomotives have been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion.
- More than half of those losses occurred in 2024 alone.
- On the night of 15 September, a Russian strike on railway infrastructure in Volyn Oblast near the Polish border directly hit a locomotive.
- On 13 September, Russia struck a passenger train locomotive near the Polish border; Ukrzaliznytsia suggested the target may have been a train carrying diplomats and politicians.
- Sybiha called on partner countries to urgently supply locomotives compatible with the 1520 mm broad-gauge standard and to finance new procurement.
- Sybiha characterised Russian attacks on the rail network as a systematic effort to disrupt logistics across Ukraine.
Why it matters
Ukraine's rail network is the backbone of military supply lines, civilian transport and economic logistics, and the loss of more than 500 locomotives — over half of them in 2024 alone — points to a growing capacity crisis for Ukrzaliznytsia, the state railway operator. Strikes near the Polish border raise concerns about cross-border spillover and, after the 13 September hit on a passenger locomotive, about the possible deliberate targeting of diplomatic movements. Sybiha's appeal makes the need for gauge-compatible foreign equipment and financing for new procurement a concrete, near-term ask of Ukraine's partners.
What happened
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha appealed to Ukraine's international partners to provide locomotives compatible with the 1520 mm broad-gauge standard used across the post-Soviet rail network, and to finance the accelerated procurement of new units. He said Russian attacks had damaged or destroyed more than 500 locomotives since the start of the full-scale invasion, with more than half of those losses occurring in 2024 alone. He characterised the strikes as a systematic Russian effort to undermine logistics across the country. The appeal came after two recent incidents on the western approach to Ukraine: on the night of 15 September, a Russian strike hit railway infrastructure in Volyn Oblast near the Polish border and directly struck a locomotive, and on 13 September Russia struck a passenger train locomotive near the Polish border. Ukrzaliznytsia suggested the 13 September strike may have targeted a train carrying diplomats and politicians.
Background
Russia has carried out systematic strikes on Ukrainian railway infrastructure throughout the full-scale invasion, which Sybiha described as an attempt to undermine logistics across the country. Ukraine's rail network uses the 1520 mm broad gauge common across the post-Soviet space, which limits which foreign locomotives can operate on it. Ukrzaliznytsia is Ukraine's state railway operator.