Topline
Russian forces on Monday reportedly bombed five railway stations in central and western Ukraine, according to the state-owned railway company Ukrzaliznyitsa, causing an unknown number of casualties as Moscow continues to target critical infrastructure and hamper the movement of Ukraine’s troops and weapons amid its focus on eastern Ukraine.
Refugees fleeing Ukraine have often used trains to escape the country.
Key Facts
The five stations were reportedly struck by Russian missiles within an hour on Monday morning, said Ukraine’s national railway company chief Oleksandr Kamyshin, according to translations by the Financial Times and CNN.
Kamyshin said casualties—which could mean deaths or injuries—have been reported, though he did not provide further details.
At least 16 passenger trains will be delayed as a result of the strikes, Kamyshin added.
Kamyshin indicated that the strikes are part of an effort to “systematically destroy” Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, which have been used to evacuate civilians and transport troops and weapons across the country.
A station in Krasne, near Lviv, in western Ukraine, is reportedly among those hit, which officials said is an electrical substation providing power to overhead lines.
Key Background
Ukraine’s railways have played a crucial role in evacuating millions of civilians from areas of fighting, delivering aid to hard hit areas and moving troops and supplies across the country. Trains have also been used by foreign dignitaries—including the leaders of the U.K., a string of European countries, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken—to visit Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. The trains have also been targeted by Russian forces, including a missile strike on Kramatorsk railway station in eastern Ukraine that killed more than 50 people in early April. Russia denies responsibility for the attack.
Further Reading
The Trains of Ukraine Go to War (Bloomberg)
Death Toll Rises To At Least 50 After Russia Strikes Train Station In Eastern Ukraine, Official Says (Forbes)
Ukraine’s Railroads Have Become Vital Cog in Kyiv’s War Effort (WSJ)
Ukraine’s wartime rail chief has to be faster than the Russians tracking him (BBC)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/04/25/russia-reportedly-strikes-five-train-stations-in-western-and-central-ukraine/