Ukraine needs a separate international format for supporting railway infrastructure, similar to the defense Ramstein, since the internal resources of Ukrzaliznytsia are practically exhausted in the face of constant attacks by the Russian Federation.

This was stated by the head of the Federation of Transport Employers of Ukraine, the first Minister of Transport Orest Klympush.

According to him, the fifth year of a full-scale war creates critical challenges for the operation of the transport system, which remains one of the main targets of Russian strikes. We are talking not only about logistics, but also about ensuring the army, population mobility and economic stability.

Klympush noted that for the last six months the system has been working “at exhaustion”: due to massive attacks on energy and railway infrastructure, locomotives and cars, certain regions are actually losing stable logistics.

As an example, he cited the situation around the ArcelorMittal Krivoy Rog plant, which announced the shutdown of part of its mining and metallurgical capacities due to interruptions in the supply of raw materials and the export of products by rail..

“You can blame Ukrzaliznytsia for improper planning, but something else is obvious: not a single transport company in the world can independently withstand such pressure and constant attacks from the enemy,” Klympush emphasized.

According to him, in the last month alone, 171 attacks on railway infrastructure were recorded.. Because of the shelling, workers are dying, and dozens of locomotives and cars are being removed from the working fleet.. Despite this, thanks to the work of railway workers, traffic continues to be maintained. At the same time, as the expert emphasized, “extraordinary efforts cannot last long,” and the system’s safety margin is almost exhausted.

Separately, he drew attention to the financial condition of the company and the reduction in transportation volumes: now UZ cargo turnover is approximately 50% lower than before the full-scale invasion. A further reduction in traction and rolling stock could lead to a new drop in traffic, which will have direct consequences for the economy.

“This means not only logistical problems for business, but also a reduction in exports, foreign exchange earnings and tax revenues to the budget,” Klympush noted..

In his opinion, in the current conditions, quick international decisions are needed without lengthy bureaucratic procedures. We are talking about the operational provision of locomotives, cars, spare parts and specialized equipment.

Klympush believes that an interaction model similar to Ramstein in the defense sector could also become effective for the infrastructure sector. It should provide for the political involvement of the governments of partner countries, operational coordination and rapid implementation of Ukrainian requests.

Among potential partners, he named the Baltic and Eastern European countries, as well as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Previous business connections and experience of joint transport projects can become the basis for new formats of cooperation.

“Finding and launching effective mechanisms for such a partnership is a priority task for the relevant ministry and Ukrainian diplomats,” he concluded.