Ukrainian Railways sold 60,000 tonnes of scrap metal for UAH 400 million in 2025

In 2025, Ukrainian Railways (UZ) sold 60,000 tonnes of scrap metal for UAH 400 million. This was discussed at an open meeting between the company and business representatives.

Between June 2025 and January 2026, 209 auctions were held for the sale of scrap metal, at which 79,600 tonnes of raw materials were sold (30,300 tonnes shipped). Currently, the railway operator has 91.7 thousand tonnes of scrap metal in stock for sale.

According to the company, Ukrainian Railways plans to sell 220,000 tonnes of scrap this year. In particular, UZ has a large number of old freight cars, which it is ready to offer to consumers for independent cutting, amounting to 130,000 tonnes.

It should be recalled that before the war, UZ provided approximately 10–15% of the nominal sales volume on Prozorro, although actual deliveries accounted for only up to 6% of the market. At the same time, after a legal dispute in the autumn of 2023, the company suspended auctions for a year and a half, which further exacerbated the shortage of raw materials.

The resumption of trading in 2025 took place against the backdrop of a deterioration in the financial condition of Ukrainian Railways. The government was forced to urgently allocate more than UAH 4.3 billion to the railway operator to pay salaries, and the sale of scrap metal became one of the main internal sources of revenue.

According to an October survey of market participants conducted by GMK Center, the problems that prevented Ukrainian Railways from selling scrap more successfully included the mismatch between the starting prices at auctions and the current market situation, the inflated cost of loading services, the mismatch between payment terms and market practice, etc.