Russian drone strikes passenger train near Poland border

On Sunday, September 13, 2026, a Russian drone struck the locomotive of a passenger train in the Volyn region of Ukraine, approximately 2 kilometres from the Polish border. No casualties were reported among the passengers. The attack occurred shortly after a diplomatic train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, and other European officials passed through the same area while returning from a security conference in Kyiv. Ukrainian state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia suggested the diplomatic train, which had departed ahead of schedule due to security protocols, may have been the intended target.

Ukrainian officials described the incident as part of a systematic Russian offensive against railway infrastructure across the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as deliberate. In response, the Kremlin stated that its forces operate throughout Ukrainian territory and target rail infrastructure used for transporting foreign military aid. European leaders, including French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, characterized the attack as an act of intimidation aimed at dividing European partners. The border area near the Yahodyn crossing remains under high alert as security risks persist for transit routes connecting Ukraine to the EU.