Over Russia’s almost-five-year invasion of Ukraine, the railway has become a critically important means of transportation, with airspace closed to civilian aircraft. But since the beginning of 2026 alone, Russian attacks have damaged 4,856 railway facilities, including 380 locomotives and 146 carriages, according to Ukrainian Railways. Every day sees between 100 and 200 evacuations, triggering widespread hours-long delays across the entire country. “The most important thing for us is the safety of our passengers,” explains train conductor Mykola Kryvenko. “We put them on the train, and we have to get them to their destination alive.”
