Ukraine plans to purchase locomotives from Germany for «Ukrzaliznytsia» and equipment for the restoration and modernisation of the energy sector. These matters were discussed on 4 October by Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The locomotives are intended to offset some of the losses caused by Russian attacks, although the contractual terms of the future purchases have not yet been announced.
Briefly about the main points
- Kyiv is in talks with Berlin regarding the purchase of locomotives for Ukrzaliznytsia.
- The locomotives are intended to partially offset the loss of rolling stock caused by Russian attacks.
- Ukraine also plans to purchase German equipment for the energy sector.
- Germany is allocating around €350 million to support Ukraine’s energy sector.
- The number of locomotives, their cost and delivery dates have not been disclosed.
Locomotives are seen as a way of offsetting losses of rolling stock
According to Koretsky’s, the parties agreed to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the transport sector. One area of focus is the procurement of German locomotives, which are intended to partially offset the loss of rolling stock caused by Russian attacks.
The need to expand the rolling stock fleet has become more pressing this year. As the Minister for Community and Territorial Development reported in September Mykola Kalashnik, since the start of 2026, Russian attacks have damaged 310 locomotives. At the same time, Kyiv was also exploring the possibility of obtaining spare locomotives from Lithuania.
There is currently no information available regarding a signed contract, the manufacturer, the number of vehicles, the sources of funding or the delivery schedule. It is therefore a matter of plans that are still being finalised.
Energy procurement must combine restoration and modernisation
Ukraine plans to purchase German-made equipment to repair energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks and to modernise the power grid.
Separately, Germany has announced a comprehensive support package for Ukraine worth over €1.3 billion. According to Merz, around €350 million of this sum is earmarked for the energy sector.
German programmes are already funding repairs to electricity and heating networks, the supply of spare parts and the restoration of power stations. At the start of the year, Berlin increased the funding for its decentralised heating and electricity supply programme to €85 million; this programme includes mobile CHP, generators, boiler rooms and radiator systems.
The support package includes military aid and defence memoranda
Military aid accounts for around €1 billion of the new German aid package. Among the announced areas of support is funding for the production of interceptors to combat reactive «Shaheds», the supply of weapons and the strengthening of air defences.
During the Ukrainian-German Business Forum, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence signed memoranda with Diehl Defence regarding missiles and the IRIS-T system, with HENSOLDT regarding radars, and with Quantum Systems regarding the testing and procurement of jet-powered UAV interceptors. According to the president Vladimir Zelensky, the parties have 15 new agreements and documents totalling over €8.5 billion.
Trade and medical cooperation remain other areas of dialogue
Imports of goods from Germany to Ukraine have risen from €5.4 billion in 2021 to over €9.3 billion in 2025, Mr Koretskyi said. Kyiv and Berlin see opportunities for further growth in trade and joint projects.
The parties also discussed medical cooperation: the creation of a single register of injuries, the updating of protocols, prosthetics, and the exchange of expertise between Ukrainian and German hospitals.
