Alexander Kamishin, chairman of Ukrzaliznytsia – Ukraine’s state-owned railway company – said on Monday that Russian forces had struck five railway stations in central and western Ukraine.
“Russian troops continue to systematically destroy railway infrastructure,” he said in a statement. “This morning, within an hour, five railway stations in central and western Ukraine were hit.
Kamishin said at least 16 passenger trains would be detained. He added that there were victims, without giving details.
In a separate statement Ukrzaliznytsia said that there is no power supply on the lines Shepetovka – Kozyatin, Zhmerinka – Kozyatin and Kozyatin – Fastov, which requires a delay.
Maxim Kozitsky, head of the regional military administration in Lviv, gave details earlier Monday of a Russian strike that damaged a railway station in western Ukraine.
“Today, on April 25, at around 08:30, an explosion occurred as a result of a rocket strike at a substation at Krasne station,” he said. “Parts of the State Emergency Service are working on the spot and extinguishing the fire.
Kozicki said there was no information on casualties at this stage.
According to Kozitsky, one of the incoming weapons was shot down by anti-aircraft missiles of the Air Force Command west of the Ukrainian Air Force. He said the missiles had been fired at Ukraine from the southeast, saying Russian forces had probably fired them from strategic bombers.
Some context: Ukraine’s railway system – one of the largest in the world – has become a vital gear in the country’s military efforts, transporting major supplies and desperate civilians emerging from danger.
Earlier this month, at least 50 people, including five children, were killed after Russian forces launched a rocket attack on a railway station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, which was used by civilians trying to escape fighting.
By mid-March, just three weeks after the war, the network said it had relocated more than 2.1 million passengers to the country, plus another quarter of a million who had gone to Poland. Much more has followed since then. Some wagons have been retrofitted to transport medical supplies to the front lines and the injured to hospitals.
Not only does the railway have to coordinate military and passenger trains, as well as aid consignments, but freight routes are also increasing. The Russians have cut off Ukraine’s access to many Black Sea ports, leaving almost 95% of agricultural output to be exported to foreign markets.
Ukrainian railways are now trying to make up for it by sending more trains to Europe laden with grain and produce. This is not a small feat, given that Ukrainian tracks have a different gauge than most European countries, so cargo has to be reloaded at the border.
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