A Russian drone struck a train near the Ukraine-Poland border on Sunday, just shortly after senior visiting international officials passed through the area, according to Ukraine’s state rail operator. Ukrzaliznytsia reported that a diplomatic train carrying former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, and security advisers from multiple European Union states had departed the Yahodyn station ahead of schedule. The high-profile visitors were returning from a security conference in Kyiv. The rail company stated in a Telegram post that it is highly probable the Russian drone’s intended target was indeed the diplomatic train, which had left earlier than planned. Carl Bildt shared video footage of the attack on social media from the Yahodyn station, located near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing with Poland. Bildt noted that the targeted train was just minutes behind theirs and was successfully evacuated as the drone approached, resulting in no injuries due to robust safety systems. Their own train had also received an evacuation warning. The delegation had attended the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, an annual gathering bringing together global leaders, business executives, security experts, and media figures. Meanwhile, another train carrying former CIA Director David Petraeus was still located at the Yahodyn station when the strike occurred. Ukrzaliznytsia confirmed that there were no immediate reports of casualties associated with any of the trains and explained that it constantly modifies its schedules to help protect against ongoing military strikes. Commenting on the incident, Boris Johnson posted on social media questioning the logic behind attacking a stationary Ukrainian locomotive near the border and emphasized that the assault reflects the senseless daily violence civilians endure across Ukraine. Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian border guards reported that a Russian drone also struck a truck less than a mile from Polish territory, prompting the temporary closure of the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing.
Source: npr.org
