Russian Drone Strike Hits Kyiv-Warsaw Train 2 Kilometers From Polish Border
Reporting based primarily on kyivindependent.com.
Mass Russian Drone Assault Targets Ukraine
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured 43 others over the past day, regional authorities reported on Sept. 13, as Moscow launched a mass drone assault that heavily targeted western regions far from the front line. [1] Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 453 Shahed and Gerbera drones, including some jet-powered Shaheds, as well as Parodiya decoy drones and S8000 Banderol missiles. [1] Ukrainian forces intercepted 405 drones and six S8000 Banderol missiles. [1] Hits were recorded at 13 locations, while falling debris was reported at seven other sites. [1] The assault was particularly heavy in western Ukraine, which typically sees fewer Russian attacks than Kyiv, Odesa, and front-line regions. [1]
Drone Strike Hits Kyiv-Warsaw Train Near Polish Border
Separately, a Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv–Warsaw train near Ukraine's border with Poland, Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) reported. [1] The train was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Polish border. [1] No passengers were injured. [1] Russian forces launched an attack near the Yahodyn checkpoint along Ukraine’s border with Poland on Sept. 13. [1] A nearby gas station was reportedly damaged in the strike, according to local authorities. [1] Katerina Sergatskova, an award-winning journalist and entrepreneur who witnessed the attack, told the Kyiv Independent that Russian drones struck a gas station and a train locomotive near the Yahodyn border checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Polish border. [1] Following the attack, she and other passengers were left standing outside for several hours. [1] "We were told to evacuate immediately, but there was no shelter," Sergatskova said. [1] "We were simply told to move away from the train cars toward the lake." [1] Russia hits Ukrainian-Polish border area, Kyiv says. [2]
Damage and Casualties in Western Oblasts
In Volyn Oblast, in Ukraine's northwest, over the past day, Russian forces attacked with drones, injuring at least five people, according to regional Governor Roman Romaniuk. [1] In neighboring Rivne Oblast, Russian attacks caused power outages in parts of the city of Dubno and in the Rivne district, according to regional Governor Oleksandr Koval. [1] An unspecified enterprise in the Sarny district was also destroyed in the attack. [1] No casualties were reported, and energy crews were working to restore electricity, Koval said. [1] In Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, a Russian attack at dawn damaged an industrial facility. [1] One person was injured. [1] An apartment building in Ivano-Frankivsk was also damaged, with windows shattered, Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk said. [1] Russian drones also struck Ternopil, damaging a transport infrastructure facility and an industrial building, acting head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration Taras Pastukh said. [1] One person has been reported injured. [1] In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, falling drone debris sparked a fire at an enterprise. [1] In Lviv Oblast, several residential and utility buildings, as well as a school building, were damaged. [1] No injuries were reported in either region. [1]
Attacks Across Southern and Eastern Regions
In Odesa Oblast, Russian forces attacked civilian infrastructure, damaging the upper floors of a residential building and several private homes. [1] A fire also broke out in the Botanical Garden, while warehouses and a children's sanatorium were damaged, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. [1] Information on casualties is still being clarified. [1] In Mykolaiv Oblast, a 71-year-old woman was killed in a Russian drone attack overnight. [1] Russian forces also targeted energy infrastructure in the city of Mykolaiv, leaving part of the city without electricity, acting head of the regional military administration Heorhii Reshetilov said. [1] Four people were injured in Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia Oblast, while Russian forces carried out 964 strikes across 58 settlements in the oblast over the past day, co-head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defense Council Ivan Fedorov said. [1] In eastern Donetsk Oblast, three people were killed, and 11 were injured as a result of Russian attacks, the Governor Vadym Filashkin said. [1] Residential houses and administrative buildings were damaged. [1] In Chernihiv Oblast, Russian forces killed one person and injured three others, according to the Governor Viacheslav Chaus. [1] The region has been under an air raid alert for more than 24 hours. [1] Three people were also injured in Kharkiv Oblast, where civilian infrastructure was damaged and destroyed, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. [1] In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and nine were injured in Russian attacks, the Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. [1] Apartment buildings and private homes were damaged, along with a cultural center, gas pipeline, garages, and cars. [1] Six people, including a 6-month-old child, were injured across multiple settlements in Sumy Oblast, according to the military administration. [1] The region has also been under an air raid alert for more than 24 hours. [1] At least five people were wounded in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Odessa on Sunday morning, officials said, a day after strikes on the city killed two people. [5]
Ukrainian and Polish Reactions
Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia used rainy weather to launch gasoline-powered Shahed drones against areas farther from the front line, apparently expecting the conditions to make the drones harder to intercept. [1] "This is (Vladimir) Putin's terror, 'knocking' directly on the doors of the EU and NATO. Russian barbarians are at your gate, dear partners," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. [1] The strikes prompted air raid warnings in neighboring Poland, where the country's Government Security Center issued an air threat alert for several counties in Lublin Voivodeship near the Ukrainian border. [1]
Context of Recent Nationwide Strikes
Western Ukrainian regions have repeatedly come under Russian long-range drone and missile attacks targeting energy, transport, and other infrastructure. [1] Although they are targeted less frequently than Kyiv and Odesa, and far less frequently than front-line areas of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Russian drones have increasingly reached western Ukraine during large-scale nationwide assaults. [1] The latest strikes on western Ukraine were part of a wider Russian drone assault on Sept. 12. [1] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine during the day. [1]
What to watch next: The strikes on western Ukraine formed part of a wider Russian drone assault on Sept. 12, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noting nearly 500 strike drones launched that day.
