On August 13, 2026, a second unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack on Ukraine's railway infrastructure was recorded in the Odesa region within 24 hours. While the morning strike targeted a passenger train locomotive, the afternoon attack by a Russian sabotage group hit a diesel locomotive performing shunting operations. This was reported by Alexander Pertsovsky, Chairman of the Board of 'Ukrzaliznytsia', during an interview on 'Suspilne Studio'.
Incident details and crew rescue
According to the head of the railway company, the attacked locomotive was engaged in shunting maneuvers at the station, a necessary procedure to allow opposing trains to safely pass each other. The key factor in avoiding casualties in this second attack was the timely work of the monitoring team. The driver's crew was warned of the threat in advance, allowing them to leave the danger zone or take safety measures. Consequently, no injuries among the personnel were recorded as a result of the incident.
Enemy tactics: searching for breakthrough corridors
Alexander Pertsovsky commented on the tactics of Russian saboteurs, noting that they are deliberately looking for 'corridors' — routes through which drones can break through to strategic objects without hindrance. In his opinion, the kamikaze jet drones ('Shaheds') used by the enemy are controlled by operators in real-time via video link. This allows the pilot on the other side to see the target and correct the flight path to guarantee a hit on a specific object, rather than just causing destruction within the blast radius.
Tragedy of the morning run
The second strike occurred in an area similar to where the tragedy took place in the morning of August 13. At that time, a drone precisely struck the locomotive of a passenger train that was approaching the station. Despite the monitoring team detecting the threat and ordering the train to stop for evacuation, there was insufficient time. The strike hit the control cab directly, resulting in the death of the driver and his assistant. Thanks to the professionalism of the crew, who managed to stop the train in time, the lives of 340 passengers were saved.
Contradictory data
Currently, there are discrepancies in open sources regarding the assessment of damage from the morning attack. According to official statements from 'Ukrzaliznytsia', the strike hit the cab, and the victims were only the crew members. However, rumors circulating in some social media and unrefuted sources suggest that the drone may have exploded in close proximity to the carriages, which theoretically could have led to passenger injuries during evacuation. The official status of this data remains unconfirmed, and the company insists that the passengers were not injured.
