The attack near the Yahodyn crossing caused no reported casualties and came shortly after foreign dignitaries traveled through the area.
KYIV, UKRAINE — A Russian drone struck a passenger train near Ukraine’s border with Poland on Sunday, damaging a locomotive close to the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing shortly after a train carrying senior foreign visitors had passed through the same area, Ukrainian railway officials said.
There were no reported casualties aboard the trains involved in the Sept. 13 attack. Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, said a diplomatic train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and security advisers from several European Union countries had left Yahodyn station ahead of schedule. The railway said it considered it highly probable that the diplomatic train may have been the intended target, although that assessment has not been independently established.
The drone instead hit a locomotive connected to a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger service near the Polish frontier. Le Monde reported that 206 passengers aboard the train were unharmed. Bildt said the train that was struck had been evacuated as the drone approached. Another train carrying former CIA Director David Petraeus was still at Yahodyn station when the attack occurred, according to Ukrzaliznytsia.
The foreign visitors had been returning from the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, an annual gathering involving political, security and business figures. Ukrzaliznytsia said it regularly changes train schedules as a security measure because Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s transportation infrastructure during the war. Ukrainian airspace remains closed to regular civilian aviation, making international rail routes through Poland an important connection between Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
A separate Russian drone strike earlier Sunday hit a truck near the border and forced a temporary closure of the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing, according to Ukrainian and Polish authorities. The attacks occurred only a short distance from Poland, a member of both NATO and the European Union, adding to concerns in Warsaw about the possibility that Russia’s expanding drone campaign could increasingly affect areas close to alliance territory.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia could intensify its actions around Ukraine’s borders with European countries in the coming weeks and months. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Monday that strikes so close to NATO territory showed increasing Russian recklessness and pledged continued support for Ukraine as well as stronger defenses along the alliance’s eastern flank.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called the train strike a calculated escalation intended to frighten Europeans. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot similarly said the attack was meant to intimidate and divide European countries. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the drone attacks appeared aimed at discouraging Western governments from continuing their support for Kyiv.
The Kremlin did not confirm Ukrainian claims about the possible intended target of the Yahodyn strike. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked Monday about the incident, said Russian forces were continuing operations throughout Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly said its military attacks infrastructure connected to Ukraine’s war effort, while Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of deliberately striking civilian and transportation facilities.
The attack has placed renewed attention on security along Ukraine’s western border, far from the main ground fighting. Poland has said it is increasing vigilance along the frontier and consulting allies as Russian long-range attacks continue. Ukrainian railway services remained a central transportation link for civilians and visiting foreign delegations as officials assessed the latest damage and security risks.
Author note: Last updated September 14, 2026.