Boris Johnson Train Evacuated After Russian Drone Strike Near Poland Border

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was caught up in a security incident near the Polish border after a Russian drone struck a passenger train travelling on the Kyiv-Warsaw route, according to officials and reports. Johnson, who was returning from a security conference in Kyiv, was travelling on a separate train that received an evacuation warning but was not hit.

Former Swedish premier and foreign minister Carl Bildt, who was on the same train as Johnson, said the train immediately after theirs was hit by the drone. The special train carrying Johnson and other European officials was able to continue towards Poland after the warning. Russia-Ukraine War: Over 500,000 Russian Troops Killed, UK Defence Chief Says.

Train Hit by Russia Drone Near Polish Border

Panicked passengers were woken up at around 5 am as the train carrying Johnson and other officials was temporarily evacuated because of nearby drone attacks, according to German outlet Der Spiegel. Bildt said: “This wasn’t our train [that was hit], but the one just minutes after us by the [Polish] border crossing.

“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 train that was struck was travelling from Kyiv towards Warsaw and was hit close to the Yahodyn border crossing, about two kilometres from the Polish border, according to Ukrainian railway authorities. No one on board was injured because the train had been evacuated after an advance warning.

206 Passengers Evacuated

The affected train was carrying 206 passengers. Reports said passengers were seen leaving the train as the drone threat developed. Shocking images from the scene showed a fireball around the railway tracks after the strike.

Neither Ukraine nor Poland reported casualties from the train incident. The service was delayed by more than six hours but was expected to continue to Warsaw after border checks were completed.

Polish authorities also reported another drone strike near the Dorohusk-Yahodyn border crossing. Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “escalating” the conflict.

Boris Johnson Was Travelling With European Officials

Also on Johnson’s train was Günter Sautter, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s foreign and security-policy adviser. There is no indication that their train was struck by a drone. Johnson and other prominent Western figures had been attending the 2026 annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in Kyiv.

The former prime minister was returning from the conference when the security alert occurred. Current reporting confirms that his train passed through the area shortly before the separate passenger service was hit.

Zelensky Accuses Russia Of Deliberate Attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow struck the train “deliberately”. He also accused Russia of attacking rail and energy infrastructure, as well as civilian buildings across the country, including in the west. Zelensky said: “It is precisely to prevent these strikes from spreading further into Europe that Ukrainian men and women fight every day, give their lives, and do not allow the aggression to expand.

Poland’s interior minister Marcin Kierwinski said one drone struck near the Dorohusk-Yagodyn border crossing, while the other hit the passenger train. “We are treating these events with the utmost seriousness. The situation is being monitored on an ongoing basis,” Kierwinski said.

The incident comes amid a broader intensification of Russian attacks on Ukraine's railway infrastructure. Ukrainian railway officials have reported repeated strikes on trains and railway facilities in recent weeks, with the network remaining a crucial means of transport across the country.

With Ukrainian airspace closed, trains to neighbouring Poland have been one of the main routes out of the war-torn country, often carrying refugees and packed with women and children.

The latest attack also occurred close to NATO territory, adding to concerns in Poland about the growing number of Russian drone incidents near Ukraine's western borders. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had warned days earlier that Russia could increase provocations around Ukraine's border crossings with European countries.

No Breakthrough In Peace Efforts

The attack came days after US envoys visited Kyiv and Moscow hoping to revive Washington-led talks on ending Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, without securing a breakthrough.

The latest strikes underline the continued intensity of the conflict despite diplomatic efforts to restart negotiations.

Russian attacks on Ukrainian rail infrastructure have increased significantly this year. A recent assessment found that Ukrainian railways had been hit more than 1,500 times in 2026, with hundreds of locomotives and carriages damaged.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 13, 2026 08:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).