UAV event in Kharkiv Oblast, Barvinkove area, Ukraine on Tue 27th January 2026

Ukrainian Railways introduces additional security measures after deadly Russian attack on passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast

Ukrainian Railways, also known as Ukrzaliznytsia, implemented on Jan. 28 additional security measures following a Russian attack on a passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast that killed five people and injured two others, the company said.

Three Russian Geran-2 drones struck the train on Jan. 27 at around 4:30 p.m. local time in the Barvinkove community. Two hits were recorded near the train, and another hit struck a carriage.

The train, carrying 291 passengers, was traveling from the city of Barvinkove in Kharkiv Oblast to Chop in Zakarpattia Oblast, in western Ukraine on the border with Hungary and Slovakia.

"The enemy is intensifying its attacks on the railway, in particular on moving trains," the company said.

After the attack, Ukrzaliznytsia temporarily restricted a number of connections in Kharkiv Oblast, and passengers are being transported to their destinations by bus. In its official statement, the company did not specify which routes had been restricted.

Some direct long-distance services are being replaced by connecting trains with suburban electric trains, according to the company's statement.

Special traffic rules were also introduced on certain sections, particularly in frontline regions. As a result, trains may make unscheduled stops, which could affect the timeliness of arrivals from Kherson, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the company said.

In the summer and fall of 2025, Russian forces stepped up attacks on Ukraine's railways, targeting mainly junction stations, which are important not only for passenger transport but also for supplying Ukrainian troops in frontline areas.

Ukrzaliznytsia reported that the increase in Russian strikes began in July, with junction stations in Lozova in Kharkiv Oblast, Synelnykove in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Koziatyn in Vinnytsia Oblast coming under attack.

The Jan. 27 strike was the first in a long time to directly target a train carrying passengers.