Dangerous Activities: Railway Injury Statistics

In 2025, six children lost their lives in Ukraine due to dangerous activities on railways, with another eight suffering serious injuries.

This information was provided by Vitaliy Romanov, deputy head of Ukraine's juvenile police, during an interview on "Suspilne".

These risky games, known as "catching", involve teenagers climbing onto train cars to take photos or videos. Another variant of this activity is hanging onto the side of the train during its movement.

"The consequences of such activities can be catastrophic, often resulting in fatalities. Therefore, we continuously stress the need to prevent these incidents", said Vitaliy Romanov.

He also mentioned two accidents that occurred in Volyn on April 20. One of them involved a 16-year-old boy who climbed onto a train car.

Later, a 13-year-old boy attempted to film a video on top of a train car and climbed up a ladder, where he suffered an electric shock.

"As a result of this incident, the child sustained 80% burns on his body, and his condition is critical; doctors are fighting for his life", added Vitaliy Romanov.

He further noted that "catching" is a phenomenon not only in Ukraine but also in other countries. Often, the injured are children from well-off families who have not previously come to the attention of law enforcement.

Recall that on March 12 in Kyiv, a 12-year-old boy climbed onto the roof of an electric train and suffered severe burns from an electric shock. Doctors struggled for 5 days to save his life, but the teenager passed away.