The Russians struck a train with a drone and launched a second attack about half an hour later. A female employee of Ukrzaliznytsia was killed. Russian troops On 8 September, a passenger train travelling from Dnipro to Zaporizhzhia was attacked twice in the Zaporizhzhia region. Thanks to the efforts of the Ukrzaliznytsia monitoring team, the train was brought to a halt in good time, and the passengers were evacuated to shelter before the first strike.
- Russia attacked the Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia train.
- The passengers were evacuated before the impact.
- A female train conductor working for «Ukrzaliznytsia» has died.
The passengers were evacuated from the train before the attack
Chairman of the Board of «Ukrzaliznytsia» Oleksandr Pertsovskyi reported that the monitoring team had identified a threat and given the order to stop the regional train in good time.
The passengers were taken to a mobile shelter near the stop. It was this measure that prevented mass casualties amongst those inside the carriages. Buses were organised, with the assistance of the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, to transport the passengers on to Zaporizhzhia.
Earlier that same morning, the Russians also attacked the Kyiv–Sumy passenger train. Passengers on that train were also evacuated before the attack.
The Russians launched a second strike on the rolling stock
Following the first impact, one of the carriages of the electric train caught fire. Emergency services began to put out the fire.
About half an hour later, Russian troops launched a further attack on the rolling stock, after which a fire broke out in another carriage.
Due to the constant threat of further attacks, State Emergency Service personnel were forced to periodically halt their fire-fighting efforts and take cover.
The published footage shows heavy smoke near the front of the electric train and pockets of fire in the damaged rolling stock.
A female train conductor working for «Ukrzaliznytsia» has died»
To begin with, «Ukrzaliznytsia» reported that it had been unable to establish contact with one of the conductors. According to preliminary information, she returned to the train despite the ongoing evacuation and the declared heightened alert.
It later emerged that the woman was killed as a result of a Russian attack.
The company has once again urged passengers and railway staff to strictly follow instructions in the event of an air threat. If an evacuation is announced, passengers must immediately leave the train and proceed to a shelter or move to a safe distance.
Russia is stepping up its attacks on passenger trains
The attack on the Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia train resulted in the second attack on passenger rail transport in the morning of 8 September alone.
Earlier, Russian drones struck a train travelling from Kyiv to Sumy. The train was also stopped in good time, and the passengers and crew were evacuated. Rescue workers evacuated 90 people; there were no casualties.
«In recent months, Ukrzaliznytsia has been using its own monitoring teams to track aerial threats and is able to change routes, halt trains or evacuate passengers. The company had previously reported that camera modules had been found amongst the wreckage of Russian drones, which may indicate that operators were able to see their target during an attack.
