Following a Russian drone attack on a locomotive near Yagodin, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Western partners to provide Ukraine with the necessary air defence capabilities and to transfer to it Russian assets that have been frozen. Shortly before the strike, a special train carrying European politicians, including Johnson, had passed through the area; the passengers were evacuated, and the train subsequently continued its journey.
Briefly about the main points
- A Russian drone attacked a locomotive on a railway line near Yagodyn.
- A special train carrying European officials passed through the section just before the impact.
- Passengers were evacuated following an air raid alert; there were no reports of injuries.
- Johnson called on allies to provide Ukraine with the necessary air defence capabilities.
- The West largely utilises the income generated by Russian assets, rather than the principal amount itself.
A special train carrying European officials passed through the section just before the attack
On the morning of 13 September, a Russian drone attacked a locomotive on a railway line near Yagodyn, close to the Ukrainian-Polish border. The train, carrying European politicians and officials and returning from Kyiv, had passed through that section of track shortly before the attack.
Among the passengers were Johnson, adviser to the German Chancellor Günter Sautter and other representatives from European countries. Following the announcement of an air threat, people were evacuated. According to British and international media reports, the train subsequently resumed its journey; there were no reports of any passengers being injured.
Johnson described the attack as senseless and called for air defences to be strengthened
In a post on the social media platform X, Johnson said he did not understand the logic the Russian leadership, which is targeting Ukraine’s railway infrastructure. He described these strikes as part of systematic daily attacks, particularly on civilian transport infrastructure, and praised the work of railway staff in the face of constant threat.
The former prime minister has called on partners to provide Ukraine with air defence systems to protect its railways and other critical infrastructure. According to «Ukrzaliznytsia», during the first quarter of 2026, Russian forces carried out 541 strikes on railway infrastructure and rolling stock, with 1,700 facilities sustaining damage.
In early September, during a Shahed attack on the Kyiv–Sumy train, the timely halting of the train and the evacuation of passengers meant that no one was injured. Strengthening air defence and early-warning systems could reduce the risk of a strike and allow more time for such actions.
The transfer of the bulk of Russia’s assets has not yet become common practice
Separately, Johnson called on Western countries to unfreeze Russian assets and transfer them to Ukraine to support the country in the war. In his view, London could take the lead on this issue. Following his visit, he also stated that Ukrainians are capable of winning if their allies take their defence needs seriously.
The current Western model primarily provides for the channelling to Ukraine of income from frozen Russian sovereign assets, rather than the transfer of the principal amount. The EU is channelling 95% of such extraordinary revenues into a mechanism for repaying Ukraine’s loans, and a further 5% into the European Peace Fund. The confiscation and direct transfer of the sovereign reserves themselves remain unresolved both legally and politically.
