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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/01/russia-targets-ukraines-rail-network-as-war-enters-deadly-new-phase>
"Russia has opened a deadly new phase in its war against Ukraine by
deliberately targeting the country’s railway network, with six employees killed
on Tuesday in the latest strikes on Kyiv.
Ukraine’s state-owned railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said its workers died
when a ballistic missile plunged into a locomotive depot. The Russians hit
other railway facilities, it added, during a massive bombardment of Kyiv and
the Kyiv region. At least 12 people died, with a dozen wounded, including three
children.
“An unbearably difficult night for the entire railway family. Railway staff
have been working at the scene since early this morning. The attack has caused
significant damage. Rescue workers are still putting out a number of fires,”
said Ukrzaliznytsia’s chair, Oleksandr Pertsovsky.
The grim strike took place as Russia escalated its attacks on the Ukrainian
capital. It has carried out continuous raids for six days, beginning last week,
in an attempt to disrupt daily life and demoralise the city’s inhabitants. The
onslaught took place hours before Ukrainian children began a new school year.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, 58 railway staff have been killed and at
least 318 injured. One wounded railway employee, Volodymyr, was taken to
hospital on Tuesday, with people urged to donate blood if they were B positive
– his group. “Our colleagues are by his side,” Ukrzaliznytsia said, adding it
would support victims’ families.
Ukraine’s railway network is Europe’s third largest, with 15,000 miles
(24,000km) of track. It has been a lifeline for the country’s wartime
civilians, transporting four million people and an estimated 120,000 pets. It
has brought world leaders to Kyiv, including Joe Biden and Andy Burnham, who
arrived last week on an overnight service from Poland.
Serhii Leshchenko, a member of Ukrzaliznytsia’s supervisory board, described
the railway as the “backbone of Ukraine’s economy”. It was the main logistical
supplier for the country’s army and industry, and every week transported
600,000 people, he told the Guardian. With 170,000 workers, it was also
Ukraine’s biggest company.
For these reasons Russia was trying to destroy railways, he added. In the first
year of the war it attacked bridges, which could be easily replaced. Next, it
targeted rails and electricity substations. Ukraine then switched to using
diesel engines. This year, Russia started “direct attacks on civilian
locomotives”, he said – an insidious tactic, at a time when Ukraine is short of
air defences."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
