Russia uses Shahed drones to strike Ukrainian rail hubs and locomotives
A train, damaged in Russian attack (Photo: Ukrzaliznytsia)
Russia has adopted a new tactic since the summer of 2025, using long-range Shahed drones to strike key nodes of Ukraine’s railway system, Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said in an interview with Reuters on Sept. 23.
His statement follows escalation of Russian attacks on Ukrainian railway infrastructure as the aggressor army has been attacking electric substations and other railway infrastructure with an average of six to seven Shahed drones almost every night since mid-summer.
Pertsovskyi stressed that the attacks are not aimed specifically at military cargo:
“Their first goal is to spread panic among passengers. Their second goal is to hit the economy as a whole,” he said.
“These are, essentially, strikes on civilian infrastructure.”
The official linked the escalation to a sharp rise in Russia’s production of long-range drones.
“Earlier, they simply didn’t have enough resources to use a combat drone like a Shahed just to hunt a locomotive," he explained.
"Now they can afford to hit individual locomotives instead of only strategic targets,”
“They’re acting systematically, disabling one substation after another or key railway hubs to stop passenger trains,” Pertsovskyi noted, citing recent strikes on Lozova, Synelnykove, and Koziatynm hubs.
Despite the relentless attacks, Ukraine’s rail system continues to function. Military transport has not been disrupted.
“This is a marathon," he said.
They hit us, we repair. They hit, we repair.”
World Bank estimates indicate that about 30% of Ukraine’s railway network is stuck in a cycle of “damage and repair.”
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