Russia intensifies strikes on Ukrainian railways: consequences and purpose of strikes

Russia is increasingly striking trains and facilities of Ukrzaliznytsia. Due to reports of mines, trains are forced to stop, passengers are evacuated, and flights are delayed. This creates significant inconvenience and disrupts traffic schedules.

Analysts note that Ukrzaliznytsia and its assets have become one of the main targets of the Russian army. If earlier the main targets were seaports and enterprises not related to military production, now attacks are increasingly directed at railway facilities, even in small cities.

According to experts, Russia is waging another stage of economic war against Ukraine, seeking to hit the energy and transport sectors. Since the railway is the country’s key carrier, strikes on hub stations paralyze the work of entire regions, which directly affects the activities of the army.

The Ukrainian budget is now conventionally divided into two parts: the “peaceful” economy, financed, in particular, by EU aid, and defense spending, which is filled at the expense of the work of Ukrainian enterprises and citizens. Attacks on railways reduce the volume of transportation — especially export cargoes, such as grain and metal, which reduces budget revenues and increases economic pressure.

In addition, the Russian Federation’s attacks also have a psychological goal — to intimidate passengers, show the vulnerability of the infrastructure and cause chaos. Despite this, employees of Ukrzaliznytsia often risk their lives to quickly restore damaged sections, restoring traffic as soon as possible.

A separate task for Russia is to disrupt military transportation. However, attacks often fall on ordinary passenger trains and electric trains that are not related to the army. Ukrainian analysts believe that such attacks are deliberate and targeted, and not accidental misses.

At the same time, the “high-precision” weapons of the Russian Federation do not always demonstrate the declared accuracy. The Ukrainian military uses electronic warfare means to knock down the coordinates of drones and missiles, diverting them from their targets.

In frontline zones, it is easier for the Russians to attack: they use guided drones, FPV drones and “shaheeds”. The further from the front line, the more difficult it is to strike – the rolling stock is constantly changing its movement, and an attack requires accurate data on its location.