Finland will donate 10 locomotives to Ukraine free of charge

Finland will transfer 10 locomotives and related components to Ukrzaliznytsia free of charge. The agreement was signed on October 22 during the Ukrainian-Finnish Business Forum.

 

The document was signed at the forum’s plenary session, which was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and representatives of Finnish businesses.

Russia is deliberately targeting Ukraine’s locomotive fleet. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, nearly 600 Ukrzaliznytsia locomotives have been damaged or destroyed, including more than 300 diesel locomotives. Repairs are costly and time-consuming, and some of the equipment can no longer be restored.

Finnish locomotives can operate without power from the overhead contact line. Given the attacks on the power grid and power outages, this allows train service to continue uninterrupted.

The following depend on this traction:

• passenger transportation and evacuation;
• the delivery of humanitarian aid;
• business operations and exports.

Ukraine is forming an international coalition to replenish its locomotive fleet. Work began at the “Carpathian Eight” summit, where a number of partners agreed to transfer used locomotives to Ukraine. Now, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine’s Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport, these agreements must be turned into actual equipment as soon as possible.

Earlier, Finnish Prime Minister Orpo arrived in Kyiv.

Following that, Finland signed agreements with Ukraine worth €300 million.

In addition, Ukraine will receive €2 million in humanitarian aid from Finland.