Two institutions have played a crucial role in thwarting Russia’s plan to conquer Ukraine. One is the Ukrainian army. It successfully defended the capital, Kyiv, and has recaptured large swathes of territory seized last year by Moscow in the north-east and south. Another counteroffensive looms. The second – surprisingly, perhaps – is Ukraine’s railway.
This network with 15,000 miles (24,000km) of track is Europe’s third largest. It has become a lifeline for the war-torn country. Since Vladimir Putin’s invasion the railway has helped bring civilians to safety. It has transported 4 million people and an estimated 120,000 pets. Eight million have fled abroad and 6.2 million are internally displaced, in the continent’s biggest refugee crisis since 1945.
