A Russian drone attack that hit a Ukraine railway station “quite possibly” had targeted a train carrying Boris Johnson which left early. The train at Yahodyn station, on the Polish border, was hit by one of the missiles shortly after the locomotive carrying the former UK prime minister had gone ahead of schedule.
Johnson's train left early due to threat of strikes
Johnson had been returning from a major conference in Kyiv along with former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt and a number of European security advisers. Ukraine rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said in a post on Telegram it was “quite possible” that the drone had been aimed at Johnson’s train.
The company said the train “had departed the station earlier than scheduled due to real-time adjustments to train timetables necessitated by the constant threat of Russian strikes”. It added that former CIA director David Petraeus had been on a different train that was still at the station when the drone struck. No casualties have been reported.
Johnson praises staff and calls for more support
In the wake of the attack, Johnson praised Ukrzaliznytsia staff and passengers as “absolutely heroic” and called for more support for Ukraine. He said: “I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning. What we can say for sure is that this is the kind of random and senseless attack Ukrainians are enduring every day – even on civilian railways.”
He added: “When are we going to give them the air defences they need? Why won’t we unfreeze Putin’s cash and give it to Ukraine? There is more than 140 billion euro in a Belgian bank account – and about £10 billion in London. Britain could show a lead.”
Officials condemn the attack
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described the attack as “barbaric” and said they represented “Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly on the doors of the EU and NATO”. Former Swedish premier and foreign minister Carl Bildt, who was on the same train as Johnson, also said the train immediately after theirs was hit by the drone.
He told how they were told to evacuate before managing to escape across the border to NATO territory in Poland. “This wasn’t our train [that was hit], but the one just minutes after us by the [Polish] border crossing,” said Bildt. “It was evacuated as the [Russian] drone approached and no one was hurt. Very good safety system. Our train just had an evacuation warning but could proceed to Dorohusk. The [Russian] attacks against [Ukraine] are intensifying.”
The Conservatives described the incident as a “stark escalation” by Moscow and urged the UK Government to increase defence spending. Stuart Anderson, who was appointed shadow minister for war preparedness on Sunday, said: “It is yet another reminder that Russian aggression is a real and growing threat to European security and, ultimately, our own national security.”
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The strikes on Ukraine today, including on the gas works near Nato’s border, serve as a stark reminder of the bombardment that Ukrainians face every day. Reckless, dangerous attacks on civilian infrastructure so close to Poland also underline the wider security threat Russia poses. The UK continues to stand firm with Ukraine and will continue working with allies and partners to bolster European security.”
