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Intensified Russian Strikes on Ukrainian Railways Claim Lives as Winter Approaches

Intensified Russian Strikes on Ukrainian Railways Claim Lives as Winter Approaches

The head of Ukraine’s railways announced on Saturday that Russia is ramping up its airstrike campaign targeting the railway system in an effort to cut off support to frontline communities as winter approaches.

Oleksandr Pertsovsky, the CEO of Ukrainian Railways, cautioned that Russian drone strikes are becoming increasingly accurate, making it more difficult for Kyiv to defend against these assaults.

On Saturday, Russian forces targeted two passenger trains in the northeastern Sumy region of Ukraine, resulting in one fatality and injuring numerous others, according to reports from Ukrainian officials.

“We can clearly observe a surge in enemy attacks on railway infrastructure,” Pertsovsky remarked during a press briefing, which included AFP representatives.

“There is absolutely no military justification for these actions,” he continued. “The sole aim is to instill fear among the populace… creating the impression that communications will be severed, leaving people isolated.”

While speaking via video link from a train bound for Shostka, which had been impacted, Pertsovsky noted that there have been “40 significant attacks” on railway facilities since August, occurring nearly every other day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to the attack, which took place approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Russian border, as “brutal.” He shared a video depicting a damaged train car engulfed in flames, surrounded by twisted metal and shattered windows.

“This brutal Russian drone strike on the railway station in Shostka, Sumy region, has prompted all emergency services to respond and assist those affected. We are still gathering information regarding the injured; as of now, at least 30 people have been reported as victims,” he said in a tweet.

Zelensky emphasized, “The Russians surely knew they were attacking civilians.”

Since Russia commenced its invasion in February 2022, its military has consistently targeted Ukraine’s railway system, with Pertsovsky stating that there hasn’t been a single week without such incidents occurring.

In April 2022, over 60 individuals waiting to evacuate from the frontline city of Kramatorsk lost their lives when a Russian missile struck the busy station there.

Pertsovsky expressed grave concerns about the increasing accuracy of Russian weaponry, warning that without efficient air defenses, “it’s unfortunately easy to envision a similar offensive resulting in far more devastating consequences.”

“They possess highly precise Shahed drones [designed in Iran] that are capable of targeting specific locomotives; they can also effectively hit energy infrastructure, rendering many protective measures currently ineffective,” he added.

With the winter cold setting in, Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities. Earlier this week, Moscow executed its largest strike to date on Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, while Saturday’s attacks left around 50,000 households in the northern Chernigiv region without power.

On the same day, Ukraine’s military claimed to have struck a significant oil refinery located in Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region.

Kyiv has pledged to enhance its own long-range drone strikes on Russian energy installations, asserting that these measures are a rightful response to Russia’s ongoing assaults on its cities and power grid.

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‘Plush Troops’: The Pro-War Children’s Toys Taking Over Russia’s Online Marketplaces Текст: “In this strategy game, you lead a battalion aiming to liberate Ukraine from Nazi rule,” reads the description of Russia’s first board game about the war in Ukraine. The game,called“Special Operation on the Outskirts,” sells for about 1,600 rubles ($20) on Russian online marketplaces. Inspired by Monopoly and designed for two to six players, the game challenges participants to occupy as many Ukrainian cities as possible. Instead of Monopoly money, players use a fictional currency featuring the faces of President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and former General Sergei Surovikin. In the fourth year of the full-scale invasion, toys and merchandise featuring the pro-war Z symbol have become increasingly common on Russian marketplaces and social media. Listings include everything from car dashboard decorations to toy soldiers for children. “The plot grabs you from the first minutes. It’s great that part of the proceeds go to support participants of the special military operation. The perfect gift for patriots!”writesYekaterina, a recent buyer. Other reviewers share that they gave the game to their sons on Defenders of the Fatherland Day. Another board game, “Couch Expert,” promises to educate players about the invasion. Players have 30 seconds to answer questions about the progress of the “special operation.” Questions range from the late ultranationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s position on the war to the roles of figures like Elon Musk and propagandist Olga Skabeyeva in shaping сoverage of the invasion. “I ordered 11 of them for school as gifts for the boys. But I got lucky — the boxes came wrapped in film, so it’s not embarrassing to give them. Thanks,”writesa woman named Natalia in a review. These toys span all price ranges, from an acrylic Z-minionto aroly-polytoy bearing the pro-war slogan “You can’t knock us down.” The latter sells for about 500 rubles ($6). “The idea to create a patriotic roly-poly toy came five years ago, when the Russian team was banned from competing under the national flag at the Olympics in Korea,”saysDmitry Zavidov, director of the Kotovsky Roly-Polies company. On VKontakte, Yulia from Moscowsells“knitted fighters” shaped like a tiger, mouse or dog. Each animal, stitched with a Z or V,costs1,500 rubles ($18). For an extra 250 rubles, Yulia offers to embroider a soldier’s callsign on the toy’s flak vest. “Any other inscription of your choice is also possible (price depends on the size),”readsthe product description. On some marketplaces, similar toys arepricedat around 1,100 rubles ($14). Another item on the market is a stuffedraccoonmarked with the Z symbol, a reference to the raccoon that Russian troops infamously stole from a zoo during their retreat from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. Sellers alsoofferstuffed bears in military uniforms with Z and V insignia. In some cases, the toys arehandmadeby widows of Russian soldiers. For younger children, “patriotic”coloring bookssell for about 300 rubles ($3.73). “My child is four. He liked it,” says one mother in a review. Some parents post videos of their children coloring tanks and other Russian military equipment. For about the same price, sellers alsooffera set of toy soldiers called the “Special Operation Recon Soldiers Set.” “Toy figures of the Russian Armed Forces will delight children with their quality and design. They’re perfect for role-playing games and help develop creativity and imagination,” the manufacturer claims. War-related games and toys may hold particular appeal for children,explainspsychologist Michael Brandl, a member of the German toy evaluation group Spiel Gut. One reason for their appeal, he says, is that they offer positive reinforcement of the media and propaganda messaging that children encounter daily. “From these sources, children form an image of a person they then try to imitate and act out in roleplay. Weapons and how to use them become part of the child’s perceived reality and a key attribute of the supposed image of the ‘ideal’ man,” Brandlwrote. A child psychologist from Russia, whose name has been withheld for safety reasons, voiced a similar view. “This is a protracted war, so the state and Vladimir Putin need boys, even from kindergarten, to already be preparing for the future battlefield,” the psychologist told The Moscow Times. “First, the state turns poor women into mothers who buy these toy soldiers. Then this Z-patriotism is nurtured with a mother’s milk. They’ll buy it without even noticing the Z, especially if it’s on sale.” Marketplaces also offer stuffed cat car decorations in camouflage colors that cost about 500 rubles ($6.20). In addition to a toy with the Russian tricolor and the letter Z, the manufacturer alsooffersa version bearing the Wagner mercenary group’s skull emblem. “You sent me a female cat, apparently — no male features and no Z. I specifically needed a male cat with a Z on it! I refused the order at pickup,”complainsa buyer named Elena. Other buyers note that the toy’s tail fell off quickly. Even toy robots are marked with the Z symbol. A set of these toys costing 784 rubles ($9.70) includes a robot with a Russian flag and weapons. For an extra 200 rubles, itcomeswith a glow-in-the-dark Z. “Satisfied with the purchase. Russia will win! Russia always wins!”saysMaria, who bought the Z-robot for her son, in her review.

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