A Russian drone struck a passenger train traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw on Sunday morning, hitting the locomotive just two kilometers from the Polish border. While no casualties were reported from this specific strike, the attack occurred during broader overnight assaults across Ukraine. Russian forces launched more than 450 drones and missiles, resulting in at least six deaths and more than 40 injuries, although Ukraine's air force intercepted 405 drones and four missiles.
The strike took place shortly after a train carrying foreign dignitaries had passed through the area. These officials included former prime ministers of the United Kingdom and Sweden, as well as former US CIA director David Petraeus. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson questioned the logic driving the decision to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border.
Ukraine and Poland condemned the incident as an escalation of the war, with Ukrainian officials describing it as a systemic attack on the rail network that connects the country to the West. Ukraine’s foreign minister stated that the attack represented Putin’s terror knocking directly on the doors of the EU and Nato. Poland, a NATO member, expressed fears of further escalation as Russian airstrikes push closer to its territory.
In response to the attacks on civilian infrastructure, the Ukrainian rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia stated it is continuing to monitor aerial threats. The operator emphasized that it is taking every possible measure to ensure the safety of railway staff and passengers while maintaining the smooth running of trains.