Russia is increasingly attacking Ukrainian passenger trains to kill civilians. "Before, the train was like a magical world. You get on it and everything bad stays outside. Now, even trains in Ukraine are no longer safe."
Kirillo and his wife were traveling by train from Kiev to Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. The two wanted to visit a friend who was serving in the army there. The journey was uneventful, and they had to leave the train several times - because of Russian air strikes. The first alarm was already at the Kiev station. "We had just boarded the train when we heard that everyone had to get off and seek shelter", says Kirill. The next evacuation took place in the middle of the forest. "A strange, unusual feeling - when everyone leaves the train and goes into the forest", says the man.
Railway employees and passengers killed
Russia has been attacking Ukrainian railway facilities since the beginning of the war, which began in February 2022. Initially, these were stations, railway bridges and depots. Today, this has changed, says the head of the railways, Alexander Pertsovsky. "Technology has developed. In certain parts of the country - and unfortunately, they cover increasingly large areas - the enemy now has the capabilities and means to control drones in real time. "That way, it can target moving trains directly," Pertsovsky said.
And Russia is doing just that more and more often. Many railway employees and passengers have been killed in recent months. A drone attack on an intercity train carrying 291 passengers in the Kharkiv region in late January killed five civilians.
Immediately after that attack, railway management decided to evacuate passenger trains at any threat of attack. This leads to delays, but saves lives, says Pertsovsky. "A train car can become a death trap because of its design and because it catches fire very quickly. "The metal deforms quickly and releases chemicals," he explains.
The railway company is in constant contact with the military and is accurately analyzing threats - not only near the front, but also in other areas.
"Everyone run to the forest!"
Some passengers have posted videos on social media. "Everyone run to the forest!", a man shouts in one of them. People hide in the bushes, and in the background a train is seen with flames rising from the front and black smoke above them.
Another video shows a woman rushing in the dark back to her compartment. She spent three hours in a shelter, where her train stopped.
Kirill and his wife heard gunshots during their evacuation, saw a drone and a helicopter chasing the enemy drone. People remained calm. "I think we in Ukraine have gotten used to these things. One passenger was walking her dog. And then we even joked: "Oh, how practical. A stop so you can take the dog for a walk."
But despite people's attempts to accept the difficulties with humor, the Russian attacks on passenger trains are changing the picture. Because railway transport in Ukraine is a symbol of Ukrainian resistance: despite the war, trains in the country have almost always run and arrived on time. Now uncertainty reigns.
"Railway transport used to be like a magical world. You get on the train and the attacks, the war - everything bad was outside. Inside we felt safe. Now even the trains are not safe anymore," says Kirill.
Despite the threat, the railways want to continue to operate as many lines as possible. People in Ukraine will continue to use the trains. They have no other option.