Russian Geran Drones Strike Train Carrying Ukrainian Troops in Kharkiv Region

Russian kamikaze drones of the Geran type reportedly attacked a train carrying fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region. The incident was reported by the Voenkory Russkoy Vesny Telegram channel.

According to the report, the strike hit both the locomotive and a passenger carriage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially claimed that the target was a civilian facility with approximately 200 people on board. However, testimonies later appeared online from surviving Ukrainian servicemen.

"One of them said that after the strike he ran with a tourniquet and a first-aid kit toward the damaged cars, but there was already no one left to help.”

As of now, the Russian Ministry of Defense has not issued an official statement regarding the strike.

New Capabilities of Geran Drones

In 2025, Geran drones reportedly gained the ability to attack moving targets deep behind the front line. The American outlet The War Zone noted that new modifications of these unmanned aerial vehicles, equipped with thermal imaging systems, are now capable of striking even individual railway cars.

According to available information, one such drone was allegedly used on October 28 to destroy a train transporting weapons and military equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Railway Infrastructure as a Target

Russian railway facilities have also frequently become targets of Ukrainian attacks. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly struck infrastructure that includes civilian elements, according to Russian sources.

In July 2025, a railway station building in the settlement of Peschankokopskoye in the Rostov region was attacked. On the same night, drone debris fell on the territory of a station in the city of Timashyovsk in the Krasnodar region, damaging a passenger train passing through the city.

A few days later, another Ukrainian kamikaze drone hit a passenger train in the Rostov region. The incident occurred at night at Salsk station, where two carriages of train No. 59 running from Novokuznetsk to Kislovodsk were damaged. Drone debris also ignited a nearby freight train, disrupting the contact network and halting rail traffic.

Sabotage Attempts and Escalation Risks

Beyond drone strikes, Ukrainian forces have attempted acts of sabotage against railway bridges. On June 1, a bridge in the Bryansk region collapsed onto passenger train No. 86 running from Klimov to Moscow as a result of an explosion. The train driver managed to brake in time, helping to avoid a higher number of casualties.

Russian authorities also reported an alleged attempt by Ukrainian special services to cause an environmental disaster in the Samara region. According to these reports, a train carrying ammonia from the TogliattiAzot plant was targeted on the Zvezda-Chapayevsk section of track. Two of three improvised explosive devices reportedly failed to detonate, leaving only minor damage to a bridge, after which rail traffic was restored.

Military analysts note that attacks on rail transport reflect the growing role of logistics disruption in the conflict, while the use of advanced drones against moving targets signals a new phase in unmanned warfare.