By Basant El-Faramawy
Ukrainians continue to rely on the country's extensive rail network despite persistent Russian drone attacks that have turned routine journeys into life-threatening ordeals.
Frequent evacuations and delays
State operator Ukrzaliznytsia says Russian forces have struck more than 1,700 rail facilities this year, including stations, locomotives and passenger wagons. On the 400-kilometre route from Dnipro to Odesa, passengers endure multiple evacuations during air-raid alerts, each lasting about 30 minutes. A drone strike on August 13 killed two train drivers on the same line, underscoring the ever-present danger.
Passengers adapt to constant threat
Beauty salon owner Antonina Viter, who travels between Kyiv and Dnipro at least six times a month, says nearly every third trip involves one or more evacuations. Fellow passenger Larysa Konstantynova, an IT worker heading to Odesa with her teenage son, tries not to dwell on the risk. "You just try to be positive and survive with the way things are," she said.
Railway workers maintain network amid danger
More than 50 railway employees have died on duty this year, according to Ukraine's infrastructure minister. Conductors now close carriage curtains at the start of each journey to reduce visibility to drones. Chief conductor Mykola Zakharchenko meticulously records each interruption, while locomotive driver Mykola Kovalenko insists, "If I quit, who will drive the trains?"
