Mr. Perzowskyj, we have seen an increasing number of attacks on trains and railway systems in Ukraine in recent weeks. What strategy is Russia pursuing with this?
Their primary concern is to weaken our economy. This must be linked to the Russian blockade of the ports of Odessa. They want to prevent us from exporting our goods. Even if the port works, we can't export if the train doesn't run. A large part of the goods are transported to the ports by rail. That is why Russia is also attacking the border crossings. They want to stop our export of goods.
Secondly, they are concerned with the psychological effect, especially in the areas near the front. They want to expand the gray zone and cut off cities like Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia from the railway network. We will have to adapt connections in the future. Passengers will be transported to a safe point by train and then the rest of the way by bus. You know this principle in Germany from replacement traffic.
See F.A.Z. articles more often in your search results
F.A.Z. prefer on Google
And third?
Third, they want to cut us off from the world. The Russians are bothered by the fact that you can travel to Ukraine quite efficiently. Most foreign guests end up traveling to Ukraine by train. Not just diplomats and politicians, but also business people, artists and so on. The attack on the Jagodin border crossing while international visitors were nearby was also a clear signal. After American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left by train, the Russians were so angry that they even attacked suburban trains. They really have no strategic value.
The media coverage is very focused on attacks on passenger trains. How important are attacks on freight transport?
The ratio is 60 to 40, I would say. So 60 percent of the attacks are on freight trains, also because there are many more of them.
Russia is primarily attacking locomotives with its new jet-powered drones. Around 40 locomotives are currently damaged or destroyed every month. Are you still able to make enough repairs or will you soon have to cut connections?
They also hit our substations, bridges, stations and depots. But the attacks on locomotives are particularly difficult for us. On the one hand, attacks on moving trains put people in danger; we have to react quickly. On the other hand, the locomotives are our most valuable asset. Since we use a different track width than in Western Europe, they are also difficult to replace. The development of new interceptor drones that are fast enough is crucial for our protection.
We also try to repair damaged and decommissioned locomotives as quickly as possible. Our workshops work around the clock and in changing locations so as not to be an easy target. This involves enormous effort. We have also called on all international partners to supply us with locomotives that are compatible with our track width. This applies to Finland and Slovakia, for example, but DB-Cargo also has locomotives in Germany that could be considered. We also want to buy new locomotives abroad. Normally this takes a lot of time, we look for partners who deliver quickly.
A few days ago it was said that 500 locomotives had been destroyed or damaged since the start of the war. To what extent have you already received locomotives from abroad?
So far we are still dependent on repairs. But we have made some preliminary agreements. Unfortunately, there are legal hurdles to sales in many countries. However, our foreign minister and the president are working very effectively on solutions.
Can you protect the trains against drones with jammers?
We are already taking many measures in this direction. You understand that I cannot give any technical details. Unfortunately, the Russians are adapting and constantly improving their drones. The new jet-powered drones can log targets at an altitude of 5 to 6 kilometers. If the signal is then disrupted, the drone will still automatically fly to its destination. The biggest danger for the future is the development of a Russian satellite internet “Rassvet”, a Starlink equivalent. This would allow the Russians to attack targets anywhere in the country. By the way, not just here, but also everywhere in Europe.
Who makes the decision whether a train is evacuated or not? The railway or the military?
We make the decision. We have access to air traffic control data, which is quite precise. In our security centers, employees make decisions based on the type of threat and the distance from the train. We have to react early because an evacuation doesn't happen in a second. The train must stop, the passengers must get off and move away. But we are in close contact with the air force. This is important if, for example, a drone disappears from the radar. We need to understand whether the drone was shot down or perhaps just no longer detected. Of course, when in doubt, we err on the side of caution.
