Russia hits Ukrainian train shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials leave station

Russian forces launched a drone attack on a train near the Ukraine-Poland border on the same day that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and top European security officials departed from the station. The unmanned aerial vehicle struck the train's engine, causing no reported casualties. Passengers on board had already been evacuated, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Johnson and the European officials had traveled on a different train en route to Kyiv after attending a conference there. Russia claimed the strike targeted "railway infrastructure" in western Ukraine, while Ukraine's state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, suggested the real target might have been a diplomatic train. Former CIA director David Petraeus, who was on another train at the scene, described the incident as "terrifying," stating that it reflected the "barbaric" actions of Putin, Russia's leader.

Ukrzaliznytsia stated that the diplomatic train had left earlier than scheduled due to a heightened threat of Russian strikes, and that passengers were evacuated just 15 minutes before the drone attack. European leaders, including Johnson, expressed concern over the attack, with Johnson urging allies to provide Ukraine with air defenses.

Ukraine has repeatedly called for increased international support to counter Russian attacks, which they say are increasingly frequent and lethal. Meanwhile, political leaders in Poland also discussed the incident, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressing concern over the escalation of Russian aggression.