The train was operating on a route frequently used by foreign delegations traveling back from Kyiv and came under attack about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Polish border, Ukraine’s railway operator said, Reuters reported.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, who was among the politicians returning to Europe by train after attending a conference in Kyiv, said on X that the targeted train was not the one carrying his delegation.
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“This wasn’t our train, but the one just minutes after us by the border crossing. It was evacuated as the drone approached and no one was hurt,” Bildt said.
Ukraine’s railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said it was possible the Russian drone had been targeting the diplomatic train. The train carrying the foreign officials had left the station earlier than initially scheduled after railway timetables were adjusted in real time because of the continuing threat of Russian strikes, the company said on Telegram.
Boris Johnson, who had also been aboard the train that departed shortly before the attack, condemned the incident as “random and senseless” in a post on Instagram.
The attack comes as Moscow and Kyiv have stepped up long-range strikes in recent weeks, seeking to gain momentum in the war while the front line remains largely unchanged.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski described the intensifying Russian attacks near NATO territory as “an escalation.”
Earlier Sunday, a truck less than 1 kilometer from Ukraine’s border with Poland was also struck. The incident briefly forced the Dorohusk-Yahodyn border crossing to suspend operations, according to border guards.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had targeted infrastructure used to facilitate the movement of military cargo from Europe into western Ukraine.
In recent weeks, Russia has increasingly targeted Ukrainian border crossings with Western allies, as both sides intensify efforts to damage each other’s economic infrastructure more than four years after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
