A Russian drone struck a locomotive near Yagodyn in Volyn, close to the border with Poland. At the time of the attack, another train was at the station, carrying former CIA Director David Petraeus. Passengers were evacuated before the strike; there have been no reports of any casualties amongst them. The diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson had departed earlier.
Briefly about the main points
- A Russian drone struck a locomotive near Yagodyn in Volyn.
- David Petraeus was on another train at the station.
- The evacuation alert was sounded approximately 15 minutes before the strike.
- The diplomatic flight carrying Boris Johnson changed its schedule and departed earlier.
- The claim that the diplomatic train was the target of the attack has not been confirmed.
The evacuation was ordered after a jet-powered drone was spotted
Ukrzaliznytsia reported that the jet-powered drone had been spotted by an operator from the Central Monitoring Group. Following this, an evacuation signal was issued from the train — approximately 15 minutes before the drone struck the locomotive.
The company stated that, given the constant threat of Russian attacks, train services are being adjusted in real time depending on the situation and the availability of routes. Passengers were evacuated before the strike.
The diplomatic flight left the station before the attack
Shortly before the attack, a special diplomatic train was at Yagodyn station. On board were security advisers from several European Union countries, diplomats, representatives of European governments and former senior officials, including the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson.
According to railway officials, this service departed earlier than scheduled due to a timetable change. Ukrzaliznytsia acknowledges that the Russian drone may have been directed specifically at the diplomatic train, but there is currently no evidence of it being deliberately targeted. This is the company’s assumption, not a confirmed conclusion.
The attack took place two kilometres from the Polish border
The attack took place near border crossing point «Yagodin–Dorohusk», approximately two kilometres from the Ukrainian-Polish border, against the backdrop of a large-scale Russian attack on the country. The Financial Times reported that trains carrying senior European officials returning from Kyiv were in the area.
According to the publication, following the incident, Petraeus described it as part of a Russian campaign to intimidate Ukrainians and foreigners visiting Ukraine. Johnson condemned the attack, calling on allies to provide Ukraine with the necessary air defence capabilities and to use frozen Russian assets to support the country.
