Russia targets passenger train with jet-powered Shahed, killing two rail workers

On August 13, a jet-powered Russian Shahed drone struck a passenger train in Odesa Oblast, killing the engineer and assistant engineer, according to preliminary information from Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state railway. The railway confirmed an ongoing investigation into the attack. Despite the threat, the locomotive crew successfully guided the train, evacuating 340 passengers and their onboard staff without any injuries.

Ukrzaliznytsia head Oleksandr Pertsovskyi labeled the strike as deliberate, stating that the drone impacted the locomotive. The monitoring team alerted the crew to the drone threat, ordering the train to stop. However, the jet-powered Shahed altered its trajectory, leaving the crew with only a short window to react. Pertsovskyi noted that the crew did not have sufficient time to halt the train completely and evacuate themselves.

Russia has a history of targeting Ukrzaliznytsia's tracks, stations, depots, and trains. On August 7, the railway reported that Russia had launched 41 attacks on its network within the preceding five days, resulting in six railway worker fatalities and 17 injuries. Additionally, eleven locomotives sustained damage during the same timeframe.

Passengers have been evacuated from trains 350 times due to the ongoing threat of Russian strikes. The railway announced a temporary suspension of ticket sales for certain services and routes starting August 27.