Russian Drone Hits Train Near Ukraine-Poland Border After European Officials Pass

The drone struck a locomotive at Yahodyn, about 2 kilometers from the Polish border. No casualties were reported, as passengers on the targeted train were evacuated before the attack, according to Ukraine's state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia.

Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and other European security officials had been returning from the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv. Their diplomatic train left Yahodyn earlier than scheduled amid ongoing concerns over Russian attacks on Ukrainian rail infrastructure.

Ukrzaliznytsia said it was“highly probable” that the drone's intended target may have been the diplomatic train, but the claim has not been independently confirmed. The railway operator said train schedules are regularly adjusted in response to security threats.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had targeted railway infrastructure in western Ukraine that it said was being used to facilitate military supplies from Europe. Moscow did not say that the diplomatic delegation was the intended target.

Bildt said passengers on his train were awakened early in the morning and told to prepare for evacuation before being informed that they could continue their journey. Former CIA Director David Petraeus was also in the area on another train when the strike occurred, according to Ukrainian railway authorities.

Johnson condemned the attack as“senseless” and urged Ukraine's allies to provide Kyiv with more air-defense systems and interceptor missiles. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot later said the strike appeared intended to intimidate and divide European countries.

The incident also came amid a broader increase in Russian long-range attacks on western Ukraine and infrastructure near the country's borders with NATO members. A separate drone strike hit a truck near the same border area, temporarily disrupting the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing between Ukraine and Poland.

Ukraine's railway network has become a critical transport route since air travel was suspended following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The latest attack has renewed concerns about the security of routes used by civilians, aid workers and foreign delegations traveling to and from Kyiv.

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