Boris Johnson was travelling by train near the Ukraine-Poland border when a Russian drone struck another train shortly after his train had left the area on Sunday, September 13. Ukrainian railway officials said the train carrying Johnson and other European figures may have been the intended target, but there is no confirmation that it was specifically targeted.
Johnson was returning to Poland after attending the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv. He was travelling with former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and security advisers from several European countries. Former CIA director David Petraeus was also in the area at the time.
The diplomatic train left Yahodyn station earlier than planned because railway officials were monitoring the threat from Russian drones. Shortly afterwards, a Russian drone struck the locomotive of another passenger train close to the Polish border. The attack happened about two kilometres from the border, according to Ukrainian Railways.
Ukrainian Railways said it was possible that the diplomatic train had been the intended target. The company explained that train schedules in the area are regularly changed because of the continuing threat of Russian attacks. However, the available information does not establish with certainty what the drone was intended to hit.
The train that was struck was evacuated before the attack, and no passengers or railway workers were reported injured. Carl Bildt later said the damaged train was travelling just minutes behind the diplomatic train. He described the evacuation system as effective because passengers were moved to safety before the drone arrived.
Johnson later commented on the attack on X. He questioned why a Ukrainian railway locomotive had been attacked and used the incident to draw attention to the danger faced by railway workers and passengers across Ukraine. He also called for more air defence and financial support for Ukraine.
The strike came during a wider Russian air attack on Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said hundreds of drones were launched during the overnight attacks, with several parts of western Ukraine affected. Another drone attack also hit a truck close to the Polish border, temporarily affecting activity at the nearby border crossing.
The proximity of the attacks to Poland has increased concern in Warsaw. Polish officials said the incidents happened very close to Polish territory, although Poland’s border guards reported no direct threat at the crossings. Poland has since taken additional measures to strengthen protection around border infrastructure.
For Johnson and the other officials on the diplomatic train, the incident ended without injuries. But the timing of the attack, coming only minutes after their train had left the station, has raised questions about whether the group itself was being watched or targeted. For now, Ukrainian authorities have described that possibility, rather than a confirmed conclusion.
