KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – A Russian drone plowed into Shostka railway station in northeastern Ukraine earlier this month, killing a 71-year-old man, injuring at least eight others and leaving the train car buckled by fire and riddled with debris.
It was one of the latest examples of attacks on railways, a key artery for commercial and military logistics, that Ukrainian authorities say has surged since midsummer.
They are part of Russia’s broader organization Infrastructure targeting That’s now being done more precisely thanks to advances in long-range drone technology, including onboard video feeds.
In the attack in Shostka, less than 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Russian border, two explosive-laden drones struck two commuter trains in quick succession.
Oleksandr Pertsovsky, CEO of Ukraine’s state railways, told The Associated Press that Russia has stepped up attacks on railways over the past three months and is trying to sow fear by depriving residents of the region bordering Ukraine of access to the railways.
“What happens is not only about the quantity, but also the proximity of the enemy forces. Now the enemy forces have very precise Shahed drones, so they target individual locomotives,” Pertsovsky said.
The pace of attack has increased
Ukraine’s railway managers are proud of their quick repairs and ability to keep trains running despite repeated attacks so far, but officials and analysts warn that advances in Russia’s drone capabilities and increasing tempo of attacks pose a serious threat.
Since the inception of Russia’s full-scale invasion In early 2022, railway authorities publicly reported that there was approximately one rail attack per week. Since mid-summer this year, that rate has more than doubled to about two to three cases a week, according to an Associated Press review of public reports.
However, only a fraction of all attacks on all rail-related infrastructure are publicly reported and can include damage to power lines, substations, tracks, stations, and other structures.
Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery and Development Oleksiy Kuleba said there had been 300 attacks on railway infrastructure since August alone, which equates to about 10 attacks a week.
According to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine’s railway network transports more than 63% of the country’s freight traffic and 37% of passenger traffic. It is also essential for moving grain and metal industry exports to ports and borders, as well as for transporting military aid from allied nations.
Russia is developing new drone capabilities
russian army The company has added important upgrades to its drone fleet since the summer, said Serhiy Beskhrestnov, a Ukrainian military and drone expert whose team studied intercepting Russian drones.
Cameras and radio modems that transmit and receive data wirelessly are installed on various types of long-range attack drones. This allows operators to adjust the drone’s flight path in real time, significantly increasing accuracy compared to pre-programmed models.
Beskrestnov said locomotives are particularly vulnerable to new technology because they are relatively slow and follow predictable routes.
“If the Russians continue to attack diesel and electric locomotives, the day will soon come when the tracks will still be intact, but we will have nothing left to run on them,” he said.
The modified drone can fly up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) into Ukrainian territory while streaming video to operators in Russian-controlled areas, Beskrestnov said.
Ukrainian defense ministry officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters, said the Ukrainian military also recovered and inspected a Guerin drone equipped with a civilian camera and radio modem. Guerlain is a Russian variant. Iranian designed shahed.
The official said the findings suggest that the Russian government is actively testing and refining new technological solutions.
He said the cameras would also allow Russian operators to identify Ukrainian air defense systems and assess damage on the ground.
Prompt repairs keep the country running
Throughout the war, Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly targeted rail infrastructure, primarily in areas close to the front lines. In March, railway operators also suffered a major cyberattack, disrupting online ticketing and other services for a week.
Ukrainian repair crews are scrambling to match the pace of the Russian offensive. A pile of rubble from a missile attack cleared within a few hoursand utility teams typically restore power and water within a day after most strikes to Kiev and other cities.
Railroad crews operate on a similar timeline. In Kiev, Maksim Shevchuk, 30, the leader of a railway repair team, recalled the day a missile destroyed 12 meters (39 feet) of track. “Traffic on the course was fully restored within half a day,” he said.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, rail freight volume from January to August 2025 decreased by 11.7% year-on-year, and passenger traffic volume decreased by 4.2%, but the reason for the decline was not disclosed.
Natalia Kolesnichenko, a senior economist at the Kiev-based Center for Economic Strategy, said the impact so far has been “negative, but small,” crediting swift repair work and rerouting trains to keep delays to a minimum.
Mr Pertsovsky said the staff took pride in keeping the trains running despite the strike. “For us, it is most important to demonstrate to the Ukrainian people, and to our adversaries, that these attacks will not have the expected results,” he said. ___
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