Russia’s war in Ukraine has proven costly in men and materiel, with purported tank losses near 3,000 alone. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Russia would use what it already has, including armored trains. These trains are perfectly suited for the well-established railways that run throughout the country, including those from the Luhansk region down to Crimea. Two Russian armored trains that saw service in Ukraine, the Baikal and the Amur, previously served in the Southern Military District as of 2015. They were dusted off after relative inactivity to transport vehicles and personnel, and to repair damaged railways. In August 2016, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu used these same trains in operations related to the Donbas War.
Russia deployed two more high-tech armored trains to Ukraine theater called the Yenisei in 2022 and the Volga in 2023. These trains are manned by Railway Troops, who, according to the TASS news agency, were the “first in the zone of a special operation in Ukraine to launch drones for surveillance without stopping the train.” These trains are outfitted with heavy 20 mm steel armor and an assortment of weaponry and missiles including 23 mm anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, anti-tank missiles and smoke grenades, and can be configured as needed.
