We Are the Second Army: How Ukraine Keeps Its Trains Running Under Threat of Attack | world News

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Walking through Kyiv Central Station with Oleksandr Kamyshin is like chaperoning a general touring his district.

His authority clears the way through the crowds and he guides us in quick stride. His team stands a little straighter when he walks past.

“I visit the station once a day. Some days, more than once. I think putting boots on the ground is the best way during the war,” says the 39-year-old railway chief.

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The historic station features the strict Brutalist facade of a Soviet-era building. But the interior is far from gray.

“It’s important to lift morale,” says Oleksandr, proudly pointing to the new features.

He adds, “Do you hear that? The music.”

Instead of a steady stream of blaring train announcements, the platforms where thousands of evacuating Ukrainian women and children passed are now peppered with the sounds of pop tunes.

The Ukrainian railway system has resulted in the evacuation of four million people since the start of the war. Its 27,000-kilometre track stretches across the country and has been a critical lifeline – transporting emergency supplies and aid, as well as people.

Oleksandr was appointed CEO of Ukrainian Railways just six months before the Russian invasion in February. Since then, his job has been to manage the network and maintain its functionality under the threat of targeted attacks.

And in April, a Russian missile fired at the eastern terminal of Kramatorsk killed 60 people and wounded more than 110. It remains one of the deadliest air strikes of the war so far. The rocket left on the grounds of the station was emblazoned with a grim message – “For Children”.

Photo: Oleksandr Kamyshin was a train operator

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To date, 307 railway workers have been killed and 665 wounded in the war. The railway employs 231,000 people and is the largest workforce in the country.

“We are the second army of Ukraine,” Oleksandr says in the compartment of a sleeper train heading from Kyiv to Dnipro.

As we approach our last stop, he shows us the WhatsApp messages on his phone. Intelligence comes hard and fast.

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“I got the info at 5:45 a.m. It says 10 TU-95s are ready for launch. Two planes are in another location, six planes are in another location, and now we’re seeing how many missiles they’re carrying,” he says. .

They were carrying no less than 69 missiles.

Three hours later, explosions were heard across the country. Russia launched a mass air attack that morning – one of the largest since the beginning of the war. The Ukrainian Air Force says it has shot down 54 missiles.

Three people were wounded in Kyiv, including a 14-year-old girl.

Under the protection of air defense, the trains continue to run. A reliable childhood comfort for many and a backbone for a country at war.

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