# Boris Johnson survives Russian drone strike on Ukraine train

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/boris-johnson-survives-russian-drone-strike-on-ukraine-train/
- Published: 2026-09-14T04:13:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-14T10:17:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16127805/Boris-Johnson-survives-Russian-drone-strike.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Europe, Russia-Ukraine War, World

## Key points

- Johnson's train outran a Russian drone strike near the Polish border.
- A following train was hit minutes later, empty and evacuated; no injuries.
- Johnson urged the West to unfreeze Russian assets and boost Ukraine's air defences.

## Summary

Boris Johnson narrowly avoided a Russian drone strike after the train carrying him from Kyiv sped up to cross the Ukrainian-Polish border ahead of an incoming drone, with a following train hit shortly afterwards once evacuated and empty. The former prime minister, who had been attending the Yalta European Strategy security conference in Kyiv, was already travelling to Warsaw Airport when the stationary train was struck at Yahodyn station, and no one was injured in either incident. He used the episode to renew criticism of Vladimir Putin and to press Western governments to arm Ukraine more heavily and release frozen Russian assets.

Johnson crossed into Poland at 7.42am, with the struck train hit at 9.28am after more than 200 passengers had already disembarked. Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt, a fellow passenger, confirmed it was the train immediately behind them that was destroyed. Johnson's train also carried a senior adviser to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, along with British, French and Italian security officials, German MPs, diplomats and academics; he noted that Russian attacks have killed 1,700 Ukrainian Railways staff and called for the release of over €140 billion in frozen Russian funds held in Belgium and around £10 billion in London.

## Coverage

- [Daily Mail: Boris Johnson survives Russian drone strike on Ukraine train](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16127805/Boris-Johnson-survives-Russian-drone-strike.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [The Independent: Boris Johnson hits out at Putin after Russian drone struck train just minutes behind his](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boris-johnson-train-putin-ukraine-russia-war-b3049428.html)
- [BBC World: Russia struck train near Poland border shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials passed through](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5zg41dkqwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)
- [Sky News: Boris Johnson in Ukraine security scare after train hit by Russian drone](https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-in-ukraine-security-scare-after-train-hit-by-russian-drone-reports-13585471)
- [Daily Mail: Trains carrying Boris Johnson and foreign dignitaries were intended targets of Russian drone attack in Ukraine, experts fear](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16128405/Trains-carrying-Boris-Johnson-targets-Russian-drone-attack.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [Daily Mail: BORIS JOHNSON: The Kremlin's 'terroristic' attacks on Ukraine will not work... now we must give Kyiv better air defences - and fast](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16128473/BORIS-JOHNSON-Kremlins-terroristic-attacks-Ukraine-not-work-Kyiv-better-air-defences-fast.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [The Independent: Boris Johnson hits out at Putin after near miss with Russian drone](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/boris-johnson-train-hit-drone-ukraine-putin-russia-b3049579.html)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.