foto: Jelle Krings / The Guardian/The train station in Lyman, Donetsk region, Ukraine, destroyed by Russian shelling
Ukrainian drones are intensifying strikes on Russia’s southern rail lifelines, hitting key substations, depots, and stations that feed the Kremlin’s war machine — and turning the Volgograd–Rostov corridor into a battlefield.
Railway routes between Volgograd and Rostov are turning into a war zone, as Ukrainian drones destroy substations, depots, and stations supplying the Russian army at the front.
Ukrainian Drones Attack Railways Between Volgograd and Rostov
Fresh reports have emerged of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting railway infrastructure linking two major Russian cities – Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. The facilities hit serve both civilian operations and, crucially, the supply of Russian units at the Ukrainian front, according to the news outlet Aktualne.cz.
Attacks Are Not Random, Warns Analyst: A Deliberate Disruption of Logistics
According to the analytical profile Tatarigami, which monitors the situation through videos recorded by local residents, the primary targets have been traction substations and fuel storage facilities. The attack patterns observed along the entire railway route indicate, in their view, that these are not random strikes but part of a systematic effort to disrupt a critical logistics chain.
One of the largest drone strikes occurred in the early hours of Tuesday last week, when the railway station in the city of Salsk, in the Rostov region, was hit. Footage from the scene shows a massive fire likely to paralyse operations at this key transport hub for a prolonged period. Salsk is a major transit point for fuel, ammunition, and military equipment destined for the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea.
This was far from the only incident. Over the weekend, Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles struck a traction substation in the village of Zhuty (Volgograd region), which supplied electricity to the electrified line between Volgograd and Kotelnikovo. The disruption of the power network caused problems for train operations. Several industrial complexes and military bases, including an airfield, are located near this route. "Railways are the arteries of war. Without logistics, the pace of Russian operations at the front slows down," stated Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation.
Rostov and Its Surroundings: The Nerve Centre of Russian War Logistics
It should be noted that the Rostov-on-Don region holds a pivotal role in wartime logistics. The local rail lines link not only industrial and military facilities but also form a crucial corridor towards southern and eastern Ukraine. However, as Tatarigami points out, this is not the only route – the strikes are therefore likely part of a broader strategy aimed at systematically weakening Russia’s capabilities.
Kyiv, as is customary, has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia must face the consequences of its aggression: "Russian military enterprises, supply depots, and airfields must feel that the war has concrete consequences for them." He added that the precision of Ukrainian drones and their daily deployment provide a strong argument in favour of peace.