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Russian drones deliberately targeted diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson, Ukraine confirms
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Ukraine's rail operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, has confirmed it is "quite likely" that a Russian drone deliberately targeted a diplomatic train carrying former UK prime minister Boris Johnson, EU security advisers and other former European leaders, after the train's departure was brought forward as a precaution amid ongoing strike threats. A separate train on the same route was hit roughly an hour later, forcing passengers to flee as a stationary locomotive burst into flames just a mile inside Ukrainian territory near the Polish border; no one was injured, and a train carrying former CIA director David Petraeus was also at the station when the strike occurred. The incident has drawn attention because of the seniority of those involved and the implication that Russia may be willing to strike targets close to Nato's border.
Passengers, who had been travelling from a security conference in Kyiv, included UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell, former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt and a German MP who said the attack showed Vladimir Putin was "playing with fire" near the EU and Nato border. Mr Johnson responded defiantly, telling the Daily Mail that "nothing will deter" him from using Ukrainian railways or returning to Ukraine, while security experts described the near-miss as a possible "Mafia-style message" from the Kremlin. An anonymous British economist on another affected train described being evacuated three times over ten hours, praising Ukrainian officials for a "timely and disciplined" response.
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- Outlets
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- Left · Centre · Right
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In short
- Ukraine says drone strike likely targeted Boris Johnson's diplomatic train
- Second train hit an hour later; no injuries reported
- Johnson defiant, vows to keep using Ukrainian railways
How this story developed
- 2 months ago The account has since been fleshed out with further specifics, naming German MP Robin Wagener as the source of the "playing with fire" remark and identifying the economist's route as running from Kyiv to Chelm, while reconfirming that Jonathan Powell, David Petraeus and Carl Bildt were all travelling in the vicinity of the attack unharmed.
- 2 months ago Fresh eyewitness testimony has now surfaced, with a British economist describing a ten-hour ordeal at the border and being told to hide in bushes as a missile destroyed a locomotive ahead of his train, while security analysts floated the theory that the strike was a deliberate "Mafia-style" warning to Johnson from the Kremlin.
- 2 months ago Rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia has since verified the near-miss more precisely, revealing the strike came just an hour after Johnson's train crossed into Poland and that a separate train's passengers were evacuated three times and made to shelter by a lakeside as the jet-propelled drone hit only a mile inside Ukraine.
- 2 months ago Ukrainian officials say Boris Johnson's charter train, returning from a Kyiv security conference, was likely the intended target of a Russian drone strike that hit an empty locomotive near the Polish border shortly after his group rerouted onto an earlier departure, with no casualties reported.
- The Independent Kremlin responds after Boris Johnson’s train in near miss with Russian drone
- BBC World Russia hits Ukrainian train shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials leave station
- The Hill Russian drone almost hit former CIA director; may have targeted Boris Johnson
- Daily Mail Russian drones deliberately targeted diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson, Ukraine confirms
Full account
Ukrainian officials have said a Russian drone strike near the Polish border may have been aimed at a train carrying Boris Johnson and a group of foreign dignitaries, after the former prime minister's service was diverted across the frontier just before a nearby locomotive was hit. Mr Johnson had been travelling back from a security conference in Kyiv when his train received a drone warning at around 5am on Sunday as it neared Yagodyn. A revised timetable, drawn up in response to the alert, allowed the train to cross into Poland ahead of its scheduled time.
Ukraine's state rail operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, said afterwards that the diplomatic service could plausibly have been the drone's real objective, noting that it had left the station early precisely because schedules were being adjusted in real time to counter the constant risk of Russian strikes. Roughly an hour after Mr Johnson's train had passed, a separate locomotive standing at or near the same station was struck and caught fire, and a following passenger service was evacuated, with those aboard reported to have fled on foot. No one was hurt in the incident, which took place only around a mile inside Ukrainian territory.
Accounts differ on exactly who was travelling where. Reports named UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell, former CIA director David Petraeus and former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt among the senior figures on trains using the route that morning, alongside security advisers from several EU states; Mr Bildt said his own train had been told to prepare for evacuation before being allowed to continue. Asked about the strike, a Kremlin spokesperson did not deny Russian involvement, saying only that its forces would keep operating throughout Ukraine. Mr Johnson said he did not understand the reasoning behind an attack on a stationary Ukrainian locomotive at the border, and used the incident to renew calls for Western allies to supply Ukraine with more air defences and to release frozen Russian assets – citing sums of roughly €140 billion held in Belgium and about £10 billion in London – arguing this would help bring the war to a faster end.
The two outlets place different weight on how close the danger actually came. One account, citing unnamed security experts, framed the episode as a possible deliberate warning from Moscow directed at Mr Johnson personally, given his prominent support for Kyiv, and quoted a German MP warning that Russia was taking reckless risks near the EU and Nato's border; it also quoted Mr Johnson insisting he would not be put off further visits to Ukraine or use of its railways. A rival report was more cautious, citing sources who said none of the VIP trains carrying European officials were actually struck, suggesting the evacuated passenger service may have been reacting to a nearby fuel-station strike rather than a direct hit, and noting that the carriage that was damaged was stationary and not in active service at the time.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The Independent quotes sources saying none of the VIP/diplomatic trains were actually hit, and suggests the evacuation may have stemmed from a nearby fuel station being struck rather than the train itself being targeted; the Mail's account leans more heavily into the 'likely target' and deliberate-message framing, including unnamed security experts calling it a Kremlin warning to Johnson.
The Independent reports the Kremlin's non-denial when asked about responsibility; the Mail account does not mention any Kremlin response.
The Mail includes a direct quote from Johnson to the paper ('Nothing will deter me…'), while the Independent focuses on Johnson's public X post making policy demands about air defences and frozen Russian assets.
There is some inconsistency in the Mail's own account as to exactly which train David Petraeus was travelling on.
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: kremlin, responds, near, miss
Centre outlets 1
- Russia hits Ukrainian train shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials leave stationBBC World
Only here: russia, hits, ukrainian, shortly, european
Right-leaning outlets 2
- Russian drones deliberately targeted diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson, Ukraine confirmsDaily Mail
- Russian drone almost hit former CIA director; may have targeted Boris JohnsonThe Hill
Only here: targeted, drones, deliberately, diplomatic, carrying
Every side used: boris, johnson, train
Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.
Explained simply
Diplomatic trains have become a familiar way for foreign leaders and officials to reach Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, as the country's airspace remains closed to civilian flights. Boris Johnson, who as UK prime minister was an early and vocal supporter of Ukraine, has continued to visit the country regularly since leaving office, often travelling on these rail routes alongside other former and serving officials.
The trip in question was linked to the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, an annual gathering that brings together political, military and business figures from Ukraine and abroad to discuss the war and the country's future. Attendees this time included a UK government adviser, a former CIA director and a former Swedish prime minister, reflecting the level of international engagement the conference typically attracts.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's rail network with missiles and drones throughout the war, since it is the country's main method of moving both civilians and military supplies. Any suggestion that a strike may have specifically targeted a train carrying Western dignitaries would mark an escalation, given the risk of directly endangering nationals from Nato and EU countries.
Coverage · 4 sources
Bias meters
From 4 rated sources.
- Daily MailRightRussian drones deliberately targeted diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson, Ukraine confirms
- The IndependentLeftKremlin responds after Boris Johnson’s train in near miss with Russian drone
- BBC WorldCentreRussia hits Ukrainian train shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials leave station
- The HillRightRussian drone almost hit former CIA director; may have targeted Boris Johnson
Europe Russia-Ukraine War World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Trains carrying Boris Johnson and foreign dignitaries were ‘likely’ targets of Russian drone attack, Ukrainian officials say ”.