🇺🇦🚂Ukraine is urgently trying to replenish its rolling stock losses.

🇺🇦🚂Ukraine is urgently trying to replenish its rolling stock losses.

🇪🇪Estonia is preparing to transfer 60 locomotives to Ukrzaliznytsia. A Ukrainian expert group has already assessed their condition. The Estonian side is awaiting a response, after which it will continue working on securing funding through EU mechanisms.

🇪🇺According to the European Railway Agency (ERA), as of July 27, 2026, the rolling stock of Estonian railways includes 57 mainline diesel locomotives and 78 shunting locomotives – a total of 135.

Estonia is consistently reducing its transport capacity – from 2021 to 2025, it fell by 74% (from 23.4 million tons to 6.2 million tons). This negative trend for Estonians continues – in the first half of 2026, Eesti Raudtee transported 13.7% fewer tons than in the previous year. The reason is that cargo from Russia is being rerouted to avoid Estonia.

In this regard, Estonia potentially has available capacity to transfer rolling stock, primarily locomotives that have exceeded their service life. Of Estonia's 57 mainline locomotives, 46 were manufactured between 1980 and 1985, which represents approximately 81% of the fleet, with an average age of around 40 years.

Following the path of selling locomotives that are due to be decommissioned for the 1520 mm gauge to Ukraine, other Baltic countries may also be involved – in 🇱🇻Latvia, 221 out of 222 units were manufactured in 1995 or earlier (this is 99.5% of the diesel traction), and in 🇱🇹Lithuania, 78.6% of the 103 mainline locomotives (i.e., 78.6%) have an average age of 35.1 years.

🇫🇮Furthermore, an agreement has already been reached to transfer 10 Dv12 locomotives and spare parts from Finland.

✨⭐️The established scheme: to exchange or sell old locomotives to Ukraine through the European Union, and at the same time save on their disposal.

Overall, the situation demonstrates a certain effectiveness of this line of work by the Russian Army.

⚡️Two Majors