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photo: arnesa_kustura; franakviacorka; Maks_NAFO_FELLA on X (Twitter)/First days of Russian full-scale invasion on Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an unprovoked act of aggression that shattered Europe’s security order and left millions in fear overnight. As missiles hit airports and highways filled with families fleeing west, one lifeline remained: the trains kept running. During the darkest hours of the invasion, while sirens sounded and cities burned, Ukraine’s railways became corridors of survival and, eventually, deliberate targets for Russian attacks.
Four years later, Ukraine’s railways tell a story of endurance under attack. They have been used for evacuations, diplomacy, and exports. But they have also faced missiles, drones, and strikes on civilian infrastructure.
The “Second Army”: Evacuations That Saved Millions
In the first weeks of the invasion, when Ukrainian airspace closed and commercial aviation ceased entirely, rail became the only reliable way out of combat zones. According to Ukrinform, more than 4 million people were evacuated by train in the initial phase of Russian war, many from besieged eastern and southern regions toward western Ukraine and the EU borders.
International media described railway stations as places where chaos and humanity mixed. Mothers lifted children into crowded carriages, conductors helped strangers find seats, and trains left without set schedules to avoid becoming easy targets.
UZ quickly switched to what it called an "emergency regime," acting as a key state asset. The company changed schedules overnight, focusing on evacuation routes and military needs. Railway workers, known in Ukraine as the "Iron People," kept trains running even during shelling.
Medical evacuation trains soon began running. According to several international reports from 2023 and 2024, special carriages with intensive care equipment moved wounded soldiers and civilians from the front lines to hospitals in central and western Ukraine. Medical teams staffed these trains, making them moving lifelines.
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Russia has carried out another deadly attack on Ukraine’s civilian rail transport. A drone strike on a passenger train in the Kharkiv region…
Rail Under Fire: Infrastructure as a Target
From the early months of the invasion, Russia targeted Ukraine’s railway infrastructure. Substations, bridges, depots, and key junctions were hit many times. By late 2025 and early 2026, regional reports confirmed that attacks increased, especially drone strikes meant to disrupt passenger and freight services in eastern Ukraine.
In January 2026, Russian drone hit a passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast, killing several civilians and injuring others. The train carried hundreds of passengers. Analysts say this strike is part of a strategy to disrupt logistics and frighten civilians.
According to Reuters reporting in February 2026, Russian strikes over the winter months have also affected Ukraine’s grain and iron ore export routes, with rail infrastructure repeatedly damaged in attacks designed to complicate trade flows.
Ukrainian officials say thousands of kilometres of track and many facilities have been damaged since 2022. Even so, repair crews often restore lines within days or even hours. European media have noted UZ’s rapid-response engineering teams for this achievement.
Economic Survival on Steel Wheels
With Black Sea ports often blocked or threatened and commercial flights suspended, rail has become central to Ukraine’s economic survival. According to Ukrainian government data, rail export volumes rose significantly year-on-year, with grain forming the majority of cargo, followed by iron and manganese ore.
For decades, Ukraine’s 1,520 mm broad-gauge network has been different from the European Union’s 1,435 mm standard gauge. This difference caused expensive and slow border crossings because of transhipment. Now, that gap is starting to close.
In September 2025, Ukraine inaugurated its first European-standard gauge railway section between Uzhhorod and Chop, according to the European Commission. The 22-kilometre line, co-financed under EU infrastructure programmes, allows direct passenger services from Uzhhorod into EU cities such as Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna without a gauge change.
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Ukrainian drones disrupted a strategic railway network in Russia’s Voronezh region, forcing a temporary halt to rail traffic on a key corridor…
“Iron Diplomacy”: How Leaders Reach Kyiv
With Ukrainian airspace closed since February 2022, international diplomacy has also moved onto the rails. As widely reported by outlets, during the war, many European leaders—including presidents, prime ministers, and EU officials—have traveled to Kyiv via overnight sleeper trains from Poland. This "iron diplomacy" is more than just a symbol. Rail is the only safe and reliable way for high-level delegations to reach Kyiv.
Cross-border passenger routes have also expanded. Czech operator RegioJet, for example, launched its Prague–Przemyśl service in March 2022 in partnership with the NGO People in Need, initially as a humanitarian corridor. Since then, hundreds of thousands of passengers have used these connections.
The War Train
Train No. 712 Kyiv–Kramatorsk–Kyiv is now known as the "war train." It carries soldiers going to and from the front, families visiting loved ones, and civilians traveling between regions under threat. Ukrainian Railways said that departures are sometimes accompanied by the song Warriors of Light, showing how culture and morale stay connected to the trains.
Four Years Later
Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s railway network is both a shield and a scar. It has evacuated millions, moved the wounded, kept exports going, and supported diplomacy. It has also been bombed, sabotaged, and targeted on purpose.
International reports from 2025 and 2026 say that Russia’s strategy now recognizes what Ukrainians knew from the start: the railway is more than just infrastructure. It means movement, connection, and survival. Despite missiles and drones, the trains still run.
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UZ Cargo Poland has taken part in the rail transport of the first 30 city buses delivered from France to Ukraine, supporting the restoration of public…