Russian drone strikes Ukrainian train near Polish border after Western delegation departs

Drone strikes hit rail infrastructure in Volyn

A Russian jet-propelled drone struck a Ukrainian passenger train in Yahodyn in the Volyn region on the morning of 13 September 2026. The strike took place roughly two kilometres from the border with Poland, hitting the train's locomotive directly. Authorities reported that 206 passengers were aboard the targeted convoy, though no casualties were sustained because railway staff initiated an evacuation 15 minutes before the drone hit. Videos circulating on social media showed passengers fleeing from the stationary carriages into surrounding areas. Near the same border corridor, a separate Russian drone strike hit a petrol station and set several commercial trucks on fire 800 metres from the Jagodyn-Dorohusk crossing point.

Western delegations clear the border corridor

The attacked railway section forms a primary transit corridor connecting Kyiv with Warsaw and is routinely used by international delegations. Several European officials and security advisers had traveled along the exact line on Sunday morning after attending the Yalta European Strategy conference, which took place in a hotel bunker in Kyiv. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was awakened by his security detail at approximately 05:00 to prepare for an emergency evacuation. Swedish former Prime Minister Carl Bildt, British national security adviser Jonathan Powell, German foreign policy adviser Günter Sautter, and German parliamentarian Robin Wagener were also traveling along the corridor on an earlier train. Former CIA Director David Petraeus was present on another train stationed in Yahodyn during the strikes.

Carl Bildt stated on social media that his train was briefly held before being cleared to reach the Polish border station at Dorohusk.

In the train in which I was traveling, we received the order to prepare the evacuation after it stopped. But after a few minutes they informed us that the track was clear and that we could continue.

Railway operator warns of targeted diplomatic convoy

Ukrainian state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia stated that the Russian strike very possibly targeted the diplomatic delegation. The carrier had moved the diplomatic train ahead of its standard schedule earlier that morning due to continuous threat warnings across western Ukrainian transit routes. The Russian government confirmed it launched attacks against railway infrastructure in western Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that frontline defense protects the wider continent from expanding military strikes.

Ukrainian men and women are fighting day by day precisely to prevent these attacks from reaching further inside Europe. They give their lives and do not allow the aggression to expand.

Border delays and appeals for confiscated assets

The drone strikes caused disruptions across the border crossing, stranding diplomatic staff and civilian travelers on the Ukrainian side. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna confirmed that members of his team were unable to cross into Poland at Jagodyn-Dorohusk due to ongoing drone alerts and the burning fuel station 800 metres away.

Russian attacks are becoming more intense and getting closer and closer to NATO and the EU. Our response must intensify as well.

After reaching Poland, Boris Johnson pointed to the death toll on transport workers, noting that 1,700 Ukrzaliznytsia employees have died during the war. Johnson called on Western nations to accelerate air defence deliveries and suggested transferring seized Russian state assets to Ukraine, pointing to more than 140 billion euros held in Belgium and 10 billion pounds located in London.

I do not know what twisted logic led Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning.