Leshchenko Explains Why Passengers Are Evacuated from Trains During Air Raid Alerts
Deputy Head of the Supervisory Board of Ukrzaliznytsia, Serhii Leshchenko, stated that the evacuation of passengers from trains during air raid alerts is a forced measure due to high risks. According to him, drones can change targets mid-flight and attack trains instead of infrastructure facilities, creating an additional threat to passengers.
Leshchenko showed a damaged railcar and the consequences of a drone strike. According to him, this railcar is currently located in Kyiv.
He explained that the relevant safety measures were introduced after the tragedy on the Chop – Lviv – Barvinkove route, where six passengers were killed as a result of a direct hit by a Shahed-type drone.
“This is a railcar from the Chop–Lviv–Barvinkove train, where six passengers were killed. From a direct hit by a Shahed drone. The train was in motion. Therefore, when a Shahed approaches within 50 km, evacuation is announced on the train. This is very inconvenient, but the risk of continuing to move toward a Shahed with the potential danger of burning inside the carriage is even worse. So in a situation where there are no perfect solutions, Ukrzaliznytsia has made this decision and asks for understanding,” he said.
Leshchenko added that Ukrzaliznytsia has gained access to military airspace monitoring systems and continuously tracks the movement of enemy drones.
Earlier, footage appeared online showing another nighttime stop of a Ukrzaliznytsia passenger train due to an air raid alert. Passengers were forced to leave the cars and wait outside until the danger passed, listening to the sounds of enemy drones flying overhead.
Leshchenko spoke about a new position in the Office of the President.
Ukrzaliznytsia launched online sales of discounted tickets for passengers with disabilities.
In the Kharkiv region, a Russian drone struck a suburban train. As a result of the attack, passengers were not injured, but the train driver and his assistant were wounded.
On the morning of March 8, 2026, a Russian drone carried out a targeted strike on a passenger train running on the Kyiv–Sumy route.
