Tram cemetery: What Russians turn Saltiv depot into

Saltiv Tram Depot is situated on the outskirts of Kharkiv and has become a target for the Russian military since the early days of the Russian invasion. Here, hundreds of Russian projectiles hit, and about half of the rolling stock was damaged.

An Ukrinform photojournalist visited the place, where Kharkiv’s public transport life used to be in full swing.

Prior to the war, more than 100 trams and about 150 buses departed from the Saltiv depot daily. It was one of Europe’s largest depots. Now there are apocalyptic landscapes within the territory of the enterprise: cars damaged in shelling, twisted metal, ruined hangar, building bars turned into mountains of waste.

According to Saltiv Tram Depot Director Vladyslav Pryimak, about 60 trams were destroyed completely, which is half of those that the enterprise had. During shelling, roofing fell on some of them, and such trams can no longer be renovated. Fifty more trams were damaged to a certain extent.

The tourist retro tram has not survived too. It made its last trip on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022.

The administrative building, maintenance and repair shop were also damaged.

The tram depot’s territory is remaining under enemy fire. Power and water supply services were interrupted.

But, Saltiv Tram Depot is planning to resume operation, when hostilities end.

A reminder that, on February 24, 2022, Russia started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops are shelling and bombarding Ukrainian cities and villages, causing mass terror against civilians within the temporarily occupied areas.

Photo: Viacheslav Madievskyi, Ukrinform

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