Video: Ukraine Secures International Aid for the Reconstruction of Ukrzaliznytsia
Ukraine has reached agreements with its partners in the “Carpathian Eight” regarding mechanisms for international support to replenish Ukrzaliznytsia’s locomotive fleet. A significant portion of the locomotives were damaged as a result of Russian shelling.
This was reported by Mykola Kalashnyk, Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport.
According to the minister, since the start of the full-scale war, more than 500 locomotives have been damaged as a result of Russian attacks, and this number is constantly rising. Despite this, the railway continues to provide humanitarian logistics, passenger, export, and import transportation, as well as connections to Europe. The scale of such attacks is illustrated, in particular, by a nighttime attack on one of the stations in the Kharkiv region, during which the occupiers damaged two locomotives as well as freight and passenger cars.
“That is why we are working simultaneously on restoring and replenishing our locomotive fleet,” Kalashnik noted.
Within the framework of the “Carpathian Eight”—a cooperation format between Ukraine and Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary — a framework agreement has been reached on $100 million in grant funding for the RELINC project in partnership with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The funds are planned to be used to purchase used locomotives on foreign markets.
Separately, the minister announced an agreement with Slovakia to assist in replenishing the locomotive fleet. At the same time, Ukraine is working with other countries in the region to expand this support.
A preliminary agreement has also been reached to allocate €130 million as part of the UZ Energy project to address critical needs and strengthen Ukrzaliznytsia’s energy resilience.
“Every additional locomotive means the railway can continuously transport people and cargo, as well as ensure reliable connections with Europe,” Kalashnik emphasized, thanking partners for their support.
As a reminder, on the night of September 19, Russian terrorist forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine, using two “Zircon” anti-ship missiles, 174 attack drones, and “Banderol” drones. Air defense forces destroyed most of the enemy targets.
On the night of Saturday, September 19, the Russian terrorist army struck Pavlohrad. A fire has been reported.
On the evening of Friday, September 18, Russian terrorists struck Sumy with guided aerial bombs. One of the bombs hit a high-rise residential building in the city, killing two people.
