A Russian drone strike on a passenger train near Ukraine’s border with Poland has triggered fresh security concerns after several senior European officials had travelled along the same railway route shortly before the attack. No one was injured, but the drone struck the train’s locomotive at Yahodyn, forcing passengers to evacuate.
Highlights
- A Russian drone struck a train near Yahodyn, close to the Polish border.
- No casualties were reported following the attack.
- Boris Johnson and other European officials had travelled along the route earlier.
- Former CIA director David Petraeus described the incident as terrifying.
- Ukraine has suggested the diplomatic train may have been the intended target.
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Drone Hits Train Near Polish Border
A passenger train came under attack from a Russian drone near Yahodyn in western Ukraine, just kilometres from the Polish border.
The unmanned aircraft hit the locomotive shortly after the train had departed the station. Ukrainian officials said all passengers were evacuated and no injuries were recorded.
The incident occurred on a railway line that had been used by a number of prominent European figures travelling from Kyiv.
European Officials Had Recently Used the Route
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several European security officials had travelled along the same railway corridor after attending a conference in Kyiv.
Among those travelling was Jonathan Powell, the UK’s national security adviser.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt was also in the area after attending the Kyiv gathering. He said passengers on his train were briefly instructed to get ready for a possible evacuation after the train stopped.
They were later informed that it was safe to continue, with the train eventually reaching Dorohusk, the Polish border station, without incident.
There have also been reports linking Bildt’s train with Johnson’s, although Johnson has not publicly confirmed which train he was travelling on.
Ukraine Raises Possibility of Diplomatic Target
Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, said the attack may have been more than a strike on railway infrastructure.
The company noted that the possibility that the drone was aimed at a diplomatic train could not be ruled out.
Russia, meanwhile, said its forces had targeted railway infrastructure in western Ukraine.
The attack took place approximately two kilometres from Poland, according to both Ukrainian and Polish authorities.
Passengers Evacuated Minutes Before Strike
Ukrzaliznytsia said the affected train had departed earlier than originally planned because of changes to the timetable linked to ongoing concerns about Russian attacks.
Passengers were reportedly ordered to leave the train around 15 minutes before the drone struck.
The incident highlights the dangers faced by civilians travelling through Ukraine, where railway services remain an important means of transport despite the continuing war.
Petraeus Calls Attack ‘Terrifying’
Former CIA director and retired US Army general David Petraeus was at Yahodyn station on another train when the attack happened.
Speaking to The New York Times, Petraeus described the experience as frightening and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using attacks to intimidate Ukrainians.
His comments came as renewed calls were made for stronger protection of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and railway network.
Johnson Calls for More Air Defence
Johnson condemned the strike in a post on X, questioning the reasoning behind an attack on a stationary Ukrainian locomotive so close to the Polish frontier.
He described such attacks as part of the violence Ukrainians face regularly, including on civilian railway routes.
The former UK leader also called on Ukraine’s international partners to move faster in supplying additional air-defence systems.
The strike comes as concerns continue over the ability of Russian drones to reach targets deep inside western Ukraine, including locations close to NATO territory.
With the strike occurring just kilometres from NATO territory, the incident raises an unsettling question: how close can the war in Ukraine come to Europe’s doorstep before the risks become impossible to ignore?
