Civilian air defense teams have begun defending Ukrainian ports and Ukrzaliznytsia
The first civilian air defense units have begun operations at Ukrainian seaports and railway infrastructure facilities.
As Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba told Radio Liberty on March 25, 2026, these groups are composed of members of the Territorial Community Volunteer Formations (TCVF). Although the team members are not career military personnel, they are already carrying out combat missions to shoot down enemy drones in accordance with an approved government resolution.
The establishment of such units is driven by Russia’s strategy to destroy Ukrainian logistics, particularly routes to ports and frontline territories. The Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, in collaboration with military command, is mobilizing civilian resources to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure. The creation of DFTG teams at transportation facilities allows for a more rapid response to air attacks without diverting significant regular army forces from the front lines.
In the Kharkiv region, a Russian drone struck a commuter train. No passengers were injured in the attack, but the train engineer and his assistant were wounded.
On the morning of March 8, 2026, a Russian drone carried out a targeted strike on the “Kyiv–Sumy” passenger train.
