The Boris Johnson train drone attack has triggered condemnation from the former UK prime minister after a Russian drone struck a railway line near the Ukraine-Poland border shortly after a diplomatic train carrying him had passed through the area.
Johnson was returning from a security conference in Kyiv when the incident occurred near Yahodyn, with the train carrying European officials having deliberately left the station ahead of schedule because of the continuing threat of Russian strikes.
A passenger train behind the diplomatic service was damaged in the attack, but it had already been evacuated after intelligence indicated that an attack was imminent.
No one was injured in the passenger train strike.
Russian Drone Strikes Railway Near Diplomatic Train
The incident occurred on Sunday as Johnson travelled back from Kyiv alongside former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt and security advisers from several European Union states.
Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, said the diplomatic train had departed Yahodyn earlier than scheduled because of real-time changes to railway timetables caused by the continuing threat of Russian attacks.
The railway operator said it was “quite possible” that the drone had been intended for Johnson’s train.
In a separate statement, Ukrzaliznytsia said it was “highly probable” that the diplomatic train had been the intended target because it had left the station shortly before the strike.
Another train carrying former CIA director David Petraeus was reportedly still at Yahodyn station when the drone attack took place.
Johnson Condemns Putin
Johnson responded angrily after learning that the railway line he had been travelling on was targeted.
“I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning,” Johnson said.
He described the attack as an example of the violence that Ukrainian civilians and railway workers have faced throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“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,” Johnson said.
The former prime minister also called for greater international support for Ukraine’s air-defence capabilities.
“So far Putin has been responsible for the deaths of 1700 staff of Ukrzaliznytsia – Ukrainian Railways. They and their daily passengers are absolutely heroic. When are we going to give them the air defences they need?” he said.
Johnson also called for Russian assets frozen in Europe and Britain to be made available to Ukraine.
“Why won’t we unfreeze Putin’s cash and give it to Ukraine?” he asked, pointing to more than €140bn in a Belgian bank account and about £10bn in London.
Trump Tells Zelensky to Stop Striking Russian Diesel
The railway attack came as US President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop targeting Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure involved in producing and distributing diesel fuel.
Trump said Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s fuel infrastructure were contributing to a global diesel shortage.
US diesel prices reached a record on Friday, rising above $6 per gallon on average.
Asked whether he had spoken with Zelensky following his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump urged Ukraine to change its targeting strategy.
“Mr Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump said.
Trump said Washington had already discussed the issue with Zelensky and argued that Ukraine had other possible targets.
“We spoke to Mr Zelensky about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world,” he said.
Fuel Attacks Become a Growing Concern
Trump’s comments come as attacks on energy infrastructure become an increasingly important element of the wider conflict.
Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries and fuel infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s ability to supply its military and generate revenue.
Trump’s concern is that continued attacks on fuel facilities could worsen energy shortages and increase prices beyond the immediate battlefield.
His intervention adds another point of tension to Washington’s relationship with Kyiv as the war continues.
Ukraine Claims Major Gains Against Russian Forces
Despite continued Russian drone and missile attacks, Ukrainian forces have also reported significant battlefield gains.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian troops had managed to eliminate almost all of Russia’s territorial gains inside Ukraine since March 2026 through counteroffensive operations across several sectors.
The assessment pointed to Ukrainian operations in the Kupiansk, Oleksandrivka and Lyman directions.
According to the institute, the counteroffensive disrupted several Russian operational objectives and prevented Russian forces from making further advances into the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The fighting also eliminated a significant Russian contingent that had threatened the northern flank of Sloviansk and Ukraine’s broader defensive positions in the Donetsk region.
Ukraine-Russia Drone War Intensifies
The Russian drone attack Ukraine has faced continues to extend beyond the battlefield, with railway infrastructure, energy facilities and other strategic targets repeatedly caught up in the conflict.
On Sunday, Ukrainian authorities reported Russian drone attacks on the Black Sea port of Odesa and a fire near the border crossing with Poland.
At the same time, Ukrainian drones struck targets inside Russia.
Two people were killed and 12 others injured in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan, according to local officials.
The city contains a major concentration of oil refineries and petrochemical, rubber and polymer facilities, including some of Russia’s largest industrial plants.
Regional authorities said a fire broke out at one of the city’s enterprises, although they did not provide further details about the facility involved.
Ukraine Sanctions Former Zelensky Press Secretary
Elsewhere, Zelensky imposed sanctions on his former press secretary Yuliia Mendel and nine other people, accusing them of spreading Russian propaganda and supporting Russia’s aggressive policies towards Ukraine.
Mendel served as Zelensky’s press secretary from 2019 to 2021, before Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
She responded on Facebook by arguing that the sanctions against Ukrainian citizens were unconstitutional but did not comment specifically on the accusations against her.
The sanctions, announced through a presidential decree, are due to remain in place for 10 years and include asset freezes and restrictions on trade.
The individuals named in the sanctions have denied accusations that have not been tested in court.
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Johnson Says Ukraine Will Win
Despite the danger posed by the attack near the Polish border, Johnson said he remained confident that Ukraine could ultimately prevail.
“The Ukrainians are going to win – that much was clear from the last three days in their wonderful country,” he said.
However, he argued that stronger international support could bring the war to an end more quickly.
“But we will get this dreadful war over much faster if we all get serious and give them what they need and deserve,” Johnson said.
The Boris Johnson train drone attack highlights the continuing danger faced by rail networks and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine as Russia and Ukraine expand their use of drones against strategic targets.
The incident also comes at a sensitive moment for the wider conflict, with Trump pressing Zelensky over attacks on Russian fuel infrastructure while Ukrainian forces claim to have reversed much of Russia’s recent territorial progress.
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