Russian Drone Hits Kyiv-Warsaw Train Near Polish Border After Johnson and Bildt Pass Through
A Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train near the Polish border shortly after former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and other Western officials had passed through the station, with no passengers injured in an attack that Ukraine and Poland described as an escalation.
Russian Drone Strikes Train Near Polish Border
A Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train at Yahodyn station in Ukraine's Volyn region about two kilometres from the Polish border. [5] Ukrainian rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia evacuated passengers 15 minutes before the drone hit the locomotive; no one aboard was hurt. [5] The strike occurred during a mass attack on Ukraine that killed at least six people and injured dozens. [5] A second Russian drone struck a fuel station 2 km from the Polish border, setting two trucks on fire. [2] Ukrainian authorities said passengers had been evacuated before the strike and no one aboard was hurt. [5] The train carried over 200 persons when the locomotive was hit. [2]
High-Profile Western Figures Present
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and ex-CIA Director David Petraeus were on separate trains at or near the station minutes before the strike. [2] Bildt stated he was on a train that crossed the border only minutes before the attacked train and that his train received an evacuation warning but was allowed to proceed to Dorohusk. [2] Johnson wrote that he did not know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border. [4] Petraeus was on board another train at Yahodyn station at the time of the drone strike. [2] Statssekretær Eivind Vad Petersson of Norway was also aboard the attacked train. [2]
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt visited Yahodyn station near the Polish border. — Source: nrk
Russian and Ukrainian Statements
Russia stated the attack targeted railway infrastructure used to transport military materiel from European countries. [2] Ukraine's state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said that quite possibly the target of this drone could have been the diplomatic train. [4] The company noted the diplomatic train had left the station earlier than expected because of the timetable change due to constant threats of Russian strikes. [4] An evacuation order for passengers on the hit train had been given just 15 minutes before the strike by a Russian jet-propelled drone. [4] Russia confirmed that attacks continued against railway infrastructure in Ukraine's western regions. [2]
Polish and Ukrainian Reactions
Polish and Ukrainian officials called the strikes near the EU and NATO border an escalation and urged increased support and sanctions on Russia. [2] Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said this is an escalation and another major challenge for Ukraine and for potential future victims of Russian aggression, adding that it means the effort to support Ukraine should be doubled. [2] Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the barbaric strikes at the Ukraine-Poland border in Yahodyn amounted to Putin's terror knocking directly on the doors of the EU and NATO and renewed calls for more sanctions on Moscow. [4] Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk held an emergency meeting and stated the escalation of the actions from the Russian side is becoming a reality and they are getting closer and closer to our border. [4]
Broader Russian Attacks and Context
The incident occurred amid a broader Russian drone and missile assault that also hit Kyiv, Odesa and other areas, following heavy strikes the previous week that killed at least 11 people. [1] In the night between Saturday and Sunday Russia launched a new attack with drones against Kyiv, provoking a fire in a residential building in the capital, with raids also reported on the Odesa region and cross attacks on Russian territory in Samara. [1] In the Odesa area the Russian Defence Ministry claimed an additional attack against a logistics facility of Nova Poshta in Nerubaiskoye, stating the site was also used for storage and distribution of military equipment. [1] Ukrainian media reported new drone attacks on energy infrastructure in Russia, including an incident in Slavyansk-na-Kubani that caused a fire at a local company and damage to a gas pipeline in a residential area, injuring at least one person and damaging four homes and a clinic. [1]
Impact on Ukrainian Rail Network
The railway authority also said former CIA chief David Petraeus had been on board another train at Yahodyn station at the time of the drone strike. [4] Johnson wrote that Putin has been responsible for the deaths of 1,700 staff of Ukrzaliznytsia and urged Kyiv's allies to urgently provide Ukrainians the air defences they need. [4] The Russian attacks have significantly damaged Ukraine's vast train network, the main mode of transportation for millions of Ukrainians as all air travel has been suspended since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. [4] Earlier this week two people were killed when Russian drones hit a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova. [4] Also this week a female conductor died in a Russian drone attack on a passenger train in southern Ukraine. [4] Six Ukrzaliznytsia employees were killed after a depot was struck in Kyiv at the start of the month. [4]
What to watch next: Ukrainian and Polish officials have called for doubled support and additional sanctions on Russia following the strikes near the border, while Russia continues to target railway infrastructure used for military materiel transport.
