Alexander Myronenko, the Chief Operating Officer of Metinvest Group, stated in an interview with Forbes, as cited by RBC-Ukraine, that further increases in Ukrainian Railways (UZ) freight tariffs amid the blockade of Black Sea ports only worsen the situation for both the industrial sector and the railway monopoly itself. According to his assessment, the company's production costs rose by approximately 30% over the past year, with logistics and rising electricity prices being the main drivers. Against this backdrop, Myronenko said that Ukraine needs a separate plan for operating the railway under wartime conditions, including international assistance based on the principle of a "Railway Ramstein."

Hit to Exports and Rising Logistics Costs

The key factor pressuring Metinvest's costs, according to Myronenko, was the blockade of the seaports: because of it, the company, in his estimate, lost the opportunity to export around 1.5 million tons of iron ore products per month. An additional burden was created by the shutdown of the Pokrovska coal group — Metinvest is now forced to import about 250,000 tons of coking coal per month. Part of the raw materials has to be transported by rail or through the ports of Poland and Constanța, which, according to the company's estimate, increases logistics costs by 50–60%.

"Ukrzaliznytsia Is Shooting Itself in the Foot"

Against this backdrop, Myronenko believes that further tariff increases by UZ are a mistaken decision. "If the ports are not working, you cannot increase the cost of logistics for domestic transport. Ukrzaliznytsia is effectively shooting itself in the foot: the more they raise tariffs, the less efficient they become," he explained. According to him, part of the cargo is already shifting to road transport, meaning that tariff hikes could further shrink UZ's own freight base.

Locomotive Shortage in Frontline Regions

Myronenko singled out the shortage of locomotives in frontline industrial regions as a separate problem. Due to security risks, equipment is being moved further away from Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, which complicates the stable shipment of cargo. Without a systemic solution, he said, a moment may come when Ukrzaliznytsia will physically be unable to ensure the required volumes of transport.

The "Railway Ramstein" as a Systemic Solution

Among the proposed measures are the maximum use of UZ's own locomotive repair capacities, contracts with EU companies, and international grant financing for the purchase of new locomotives. Separately, Myronenko proposed creating a mechanism based on the "Railway Ramstein" principle — to consolidate partner assistance in the form of locomotives, spare parts, and financing for the repair of railway equipment. According to him, with the ports closed, the state should not increase the cost of domestic logistics but rather ensure stable and affordable transport for industry, so as to prevent further contraction of production and exports.

The Agricultural Sector Is Also Against the Hike

Earlier, the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council and the Ukrainian Agrarian Business Club association also called on Prime Minister Serhiy Herasymenko to postpone the increase in Ukrzaliznytsia's freight tariffs. The agricultural sector states that the decision is being made at a critical moment and could worsen producers' losses, reduce exports, and deteriorate the overall economic situation.