Train Travel to Key Donbas Cities Suspended Amid Escalating Russian Attacks
POKROVSK, Ukraine – Rail service to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region has been suspended indefinitely at the request of the donetsk Regional Military Administration, effectively halting a vital artery for civilian and military transport as Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure intensify.Passengers are now being diverted to buses at stations in the neighboring kharkiv region - Barvinkove and Husarivka – with authorities citing increased safety concerns.
The suspension brings a poignant end to a chapter marked by both heartbreak and hope at stations like Pokrovsk.Before the full-scale invasion, these platforms witnessed a bittersweet cycle of “love trains” – arrivals filled with joyful reunions as wives, girlfriends, and loved ones greeted soldiers, contrasted sharply with wrenching farewells punctuated by tearful promises of return. Now, a section of the Pokrovsk station, site of a devastating attack, remains largely abandoned, a grim memorial to the violence.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 37 Ukrainian railway workers have been killed and 221 wounded in Russian attacks targeting the country’s rail network. The increased frequency of these attacks prompted the decision to suspend direct train service to the front-line cities, prioritizing passenger safety despite the disruption.
(Photo: Stanislav Krupař)
