The Lviv–Chernivtsi train left 25 passengers behind in a field following an air raid alert

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, reported an incident involving the “Lviv–Chernivtsi” passenger train. During an air raid alert and amid the threat of Russian shelling, passengers were evacuated from the train cars into an open field, but the train did not pick up everyone afterward.

According to the Ombudsman, just 10 seconds after the all-clear was announced, the train resumed its journey and left people in the middle of a field without ensuring they had returned to the train cars. 

The Ombudsman’s Office has sent an official letter to the management of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” to clarify the circumstances of the incident and verify whether all 25 passengers were ultimately transported to their destinations. The letter emphasized the need to revise internal instructions and coordination procedures during evacuations so that passenger safety and verifying their presence take priority over adhering to the train schedule.

Source: Statement by Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights.

All Ukrzaliznytsia passenger trains have begun to be equipped with special supplies, including flashlights, whistles, megaphones, raincoats, blankets, and glow sticks. The new equipment for train crews is intended to make evacuations safer and more coordinated in the event of an immediate threat.

Ukrzaliznytsia has already installed more than 280 mobile shelters for its employees.