Russia strikes Ukrainian train near Poland border after European officials leave

A Russian drone has struck a Ukrainian train near the Ukraine-Poland border, shortly after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European security officials travelled through the same railway line, The BBC has reported

The strike hit the train’s engine at Yahodyn, about two kilometres from the Polish border. Ukrainian authorities said no casualties were reported and passengers were evacuated.

According to the BBC, Johnson and other European officials, including UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell, had passed through the area on a different train while returning from a conference in Kyiv.

Ukraine’s state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said the diplomatic train had left the station earlier than expected because of ongoing threats of Russian strikes.

The company said the train that was hit received an evacuation order about 15 minutes before the attack.

Russia said it had targeted railway infrastructure in western Ukraine, while Ukrainian authorities said the possibility that the drone was targeting the diplomatic train could not be ruled out.

Former CIA Director David Petraeus, who was travelling on another train at Yahodyn station, described the incident as “terrifying.”

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt also told the BBC that passengers on his train were instructed to prepare for evacuation before being allowed to continue their journey.

The train later arrived safely at Poland’s border station in Dorohusk.

The incident comes amid growing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s railway infrastructure and follows several recent strikes on trains, railway facilities and border crossings.