Finland provides Ukraine with 10 free locomotives to strengthen railways

During the Ukrainian-Finnish Business Forum—attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo—an agreement was signed for the transfer of 10 Dv12 diesel locomotives and associated components to Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) at no cost.

The document was signed by Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhii Koretskyi, Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo, and the Chairman of the Board of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia," Oleksandr Pertsovskyi.

Finland has become the first country to provide locomotives to Ukrzaliznytsia free of charge. This assistance will help replenish the fleet, which has suffered losses due to systematic Russian attacks. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, nearly 600 of the company’s locomotives—including over 300 diesel locomotives—have been damaged or destroyed. Repairing them requires significant time and financial resources, while some of the equipment is beyond repair.

"Today, our task is not only to restore damaged locomotives but also to find ways to promptly replenish Ukrzaliznytsia’s fleet. After all, the transportation of millions of Ukrainians, the operation of enterprises, and our exports all depend on the stable functioning of the railway. Finland’s decision marks the first practical result of our efforts to engage international partners in strengthening our locomotive fleet. It is important that this example serves as the beginning of broader cooperation with other countries. I am grateful to Finland for the concrete support that helps the Ukrainian railway remain resilient amidst the war," stated Mykola Kalashnyk, Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport of Ukraine.

Additional locomotive power is essential for maintaining passenger and freight transport, evacuating people, delivering humanitarian aid, supporting the operation of enterprises, and facilitating exports—all while facing Russian strikes on transport and energy infrastructure.

The formation of an international coalition to bolster the Ukrainian railway with locomotives began during the Carpathian Eight Summit. At that time, agreements were reached with several partners regarding the transfer of used locomotives to Ukraine. The Ministry, in cooperation with “Ukrzaliznytsia” (Ukrainian Railways), continues to work on the implementation of these agreements.