The leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) wants to launch a train service between Donetsk and Russia "in less than a week." The RIA Novosti news agency reported this, citing “DNR’s acting minister of transport" Semen Kuzmenko, according to the Ukrainska Pravda publication.
"Give or take one week - most likely in four days - we expect to launch a train service to Uspenka - the first station after the Russian border," said Kuzmenko.
He added that the main objectives at the moment were to clear mines from railway infrastructure, restore railway tracks, and repair power networks. According to him, train services need to be restored based specifically on electric traction. "There are also diesel locomotives and even steam locomotives. We can arrange a demonstrative act, but everything depends on the economic feasibility," he said.
He noted that the region's economy is tied to rail services. "Industry, mines, and metallurgy - we cannot transport a lot on wheelbarrows if there is no railway," said Kuzmenko.
As reported earlier, gunmen in the Donbas are robbing mines and exporting coal to Russia in convoys of trucks.
