Germany Urges Citizens to Avoid Ukraine Rail Travel Ahead of Aug. 24

Germany has advised its citizens to refrain from taking train trips in Ukraine prior to the nation's Independence Day on August 24, according to a recent report by DW. The German Embassy in Kyiv released an updated security advisory, stating that Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and transport hubs are likely during this period.

The embassy highlighted that railway facilities, along with railway operators, continue to be targets of Russian airstrikes. Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications, citing US intelligence, reported Russia's preparation for a large-scale strike campaign targeting Kyiv's energy infrastructure ahead of the August 24 holiday.

This advisory comes in the wake of a Russian drone attack in the Odesa region on August 13, which killed two railway workers. Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Ukrainian Railways Board, reported that a jet-powered drone struck the locomotive of a passenger train carrying 340 people, resulting in the deaths of the driver and assistant.

The driver and assistant attempted to halt the train and evacuate passengers following a drone threat detection. However, no passengers were injured, and the injured were transported to Odesa via buses. During the August 13 overnight attack, the Ukrainian Air Force intercepted 111 out of 133 drones launched by Russia. Strikes and falling debris occurred across multiple regions, leading to injuries in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, and an 18-year-old woman in Odesa. The Izmail district suffered damage to its port infrastructure, resulting in a fire.