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Ukraine says loss of over 630 locomotives is crippling its rail backbone
Ukraine’s infrastructure minister says the country has lost more than 630 locomotives, including about 400 this year, and that most can’t be repaired. The damage cuts into the rail network that moves troops, grain, and civilians across a country still under attack.
Ukraine’s railways are absorbing heavy damage as the war grinds on. Infrastructure and Transport Minister Mykola Kalashnyk says the country has lost at least 630 locomotives, with around 400 of those losses occurring in 2026 alone. According to him, most of the damaged engines are beyond repair.
The figures, reported on 15 November, underline how sustained strikes and wear have hollowed out the fleet of locomotives that pull both freight and passenger trains. These are the core engines that keep long trains moving; losing hundreds in a short period signals a serious hit to Ukraine’s ability to run its network at wartime demand levels.
On the ground, that loss of motive power affects nearly every part of the system. Fewer working locomotives mean fewer grain trains can reach ports and border crossings, and it becomes harder to maintain regular passenger services linking smaller towns to major cities.
For the military, rail capacity is central to moving ammunition, fuel, heavy equipment, and personnel across long distances. Each destroyed or crippled locomotive reduces the number of trains that can run to supply front‑line units or rotate brigades away from combat zones.
Russian forces have repeatedly targeted railway infrastructure, including depots and major hubs where locomotives are maintained or parked. Even near‑misses can push engines into the “beyond repair” category Kalashnyk describes, by warping frames or damaging key systems.
Ukraine’s railways also underpin its wartime economy. Grain and metal still move primarily by train to ports and overland export routes. When locomotives are knocked out faster than they can be replaced or refurbished, those export flows shrink or slow, cutting into the revenue that helps fund public services and the war effort itself.
Key indicators to watch include whether Kyiv seeks specific foreign help to replace lost locomotives or expand repair capacity, and how freight volumes reported by the state railway change over time. If locomotive losses continue at the pace described by Kalashnyk without a clear replenishment plan, pressure will intensify on both Ukraine’s front‑line logistics and its basic civilian mobility.