Russian Drone Strike Narrowly Misses Boris Johnson, Carl Bildt and European Security Officials

A Russian jet-powered drone struck a Kyiv-Warsaw passenger train just two kilometers from NATO member Poland on Sunday, Sept. 13, shortly after a diplomatic train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other senior Western figures passed through the same station. The train was carrying 206 passengers. No one was injured after Ukrzaliznytsia’s monitoring team detected the approaching drone and warned the crew, allowing passengers to evacuate.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Ukraine’s state railway operator said the diplomatic train itself may have been the intended target. “It is entirely possible that the Russian drone’s intended target was the diplomatic train, which departed the station earlier than scheduled after timetables were adjusted in real time because of the constant threat of Russian strikes,” Ukrzaliznytsia said. Johnson and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt had been returning from a conference in Kyiv. Former CIA Director David Petraeus was aboard another train at the station during the attack. ‘Random and Senseless’ Johnson condemned the strike as another example of the attacks Ukrainians face every day. “I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning,” Johnson wrote. “What we can say for sure is that this is the kind of random and senseless attack Ukrainians are enduring every day – even on civilian railways.” Other Topics of Interest Italian Ex-Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi: Italy Is Unequivocally on Ukraine’s Side Russia’s war is a watershed. Europe must adapt and integrate Ukraine. Bildt said the train hit was only minutes behind his. “This wasn’t our train, but the one just minutes after us by the Polish border crossing. It was evacuated as the Russian drone approached and no one was hurt. Very good safety system,” he wrote. His train was also placed on evacuation alert. “On the train I was on we received order to prepare evacuation after it had stopped. But after a number of minutes we were informed that it was clear and we could proceed.” ‘Putin’s Terror Knocking’ on NATO’s Door The train strike was part of a broader Russian attack near Ukraine’s border with Poland. Another drone struck a truck around 800 meters from the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing, briefly disrupting operations and bringing Russian strikes within less than a kilometer of NATO territory. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attacks should serve as a direct warning to Ukraine’s allies. “This is Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly on the doors of the EU and NATO. Russian barbarians are at your gate, dear partners.” Sybiha said Russia must face consequences severe enough to change Moscow’s calculations. “Putin needs to understand that his barbarism will be met with decisive action that increases the cost of war for him to an unacceptable level. This is the only way to stop him.” Poland Raises Readiness The proximity of the strikes triggered an immediate response in Warsaw. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called Russia’s increasing attacks on NATO’s doorstep an “escalation,” while Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting with senior defense and security officials. “The escalation of Russia’s actions is becoming a fact, and its manifestations are increasingly approaching our border,” Tusk warned. “An attempt to paralyze border crossings is not the first such incident.” Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said 13 separate strikes were recorded across western Ukraine during the Sunday morning assault. Tusk singled out Russia’s increasing use of jet-powered drones as a growing threat. “The attacks this night demonstrate that the Russians are willing to use more dangerous technology than before. I mean jet-powered drones,” he said, pointing to their range and accuracy. “We must be aware that from today we will be operating in a significantly heightened mode,” Tusk added. “We cannot rule out that the escalation will also affect our territory.” Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Russian drones did not violate Polish airspace, but Warsaw activated air-defense and reconnaissance systems as a precaution. Tomczyk stressed that Ukraine’s ability to stop Russian attacks before they reach farther west is directly tied to Poland’s own security. “Every missile destroyed and every drone shot down [in Ukraine] is a threat that doesn’t fly any further,” he said. Russia Pushes Strikes Toward Ukraine’s Western Border Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it targeted infrastructure used to transport military cargo from Europe. But Sunday’s attack struck a civilian passenger train on one of Ukraine’s most important connections with the EU, while a second strike hit near a major border crossing. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the border attacks deliberate and warned that Moscow would continue pushing its war toward Europe’s edges unless Ukraine receives stronger air defenses. Sevinj Osmanqizi is an experienced journalist who writes extensively for Kyiv Post on foreign policy, international security and geopolitics. Based in Washington, D.C., her work focuses on Ukraine, Russia’s war and the broader post-Soviet space.