Poland and Ukraine slam Russian strike on train near their border as 'escalation

Several prominent EU officials have condemned a Russian drone attack on a passenger train near Ukraine's border with Poland, viewing it as an attempt to intimidate the region's allies. The incident occurred at a railway station in Volyn, Poland, approximately 1.24 miles from the Ukrainian border. The drone targeted the train's locomotive shortly after a diplomatic train carrying British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European diplomats had arrived at the station.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas stated that the attack was intended to discourage Western countries from supporting Ukraine. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called for increased assistance to Kyiv and harsher sanctions against Russia, emphasizing the need to demonstrate resolve. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda warned that Russia aims to challenge the rule of law and test democracy, vowing to intensify efforts to counter Russia's actions.

French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized that the attack's objective was to intimidate Europeans and drive a wedge between them. German Foreign Minister Boris Pistorius called for restraint, stating that the incident should not lead to further escalation. The Kremlin responded by claiming that its military is active across all Ukrainian territories and would continue operations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga accused Russia of effectively being at war with Europe, urging the EU and NATO to resist Putin's aggression.