Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russia struck a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border shortly after he and top European officials passed through the station, according to the BBC.
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Key facts
- Boris Johnson said Russia struck a Ukrainian train near the Polish border, according to the BBC.
- Johnson said the strike came shortly after he and top European officials left the station.
- Johnson described it as a stationary Ukrainian locomotive hit that morning.
- Johnson said he did not understand the logic behind the strike and attributed it to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- The BBC's account did not provide further detail on casualties or the exact location beyond its proximity to the Polish border.
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russia struck a Ukrainian train near the border with Poland shortly after he and senior European officials had passed through the station, according to the BBC.
Johnson said the strike hit a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border, and that it occurred close to the movements of himself and a group of top European officials travelling through the area.
Reacting to the strike, Johnson said: “I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning.”
Johnson’s comment directly attributed the attack to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The BBC’s account did not provide further detail on casualties or the exact location beyond its proximity to the Polish border, and the sources available do not include independent confirmation of responsibility for the strike.
If confirmed, an incident so close to the Polish border would underscore the continued risks along Ukraine’s western supply and transit routes, which run near Poland, a NATO member state.
The BBC published its coverage on 13 September 2026, updating its report through the afternoon.
Why it matters
A strike reported so close to the Polish border, and near where a former UK leader and European officials had just travelled, would highlight the proximity of the war to NATO territory. Such incidents raise questions about the safety of transit routes into Ukraine and the potential for wider escalation, though the available sources reflect Johnson's account rather than independent confirmation.
Timeline
- Russia hits Ukrainian train shortly after Boris Johnson leaves station
Al Jazeera: A Russian drone struck a train near Ukraine-Poland border, shortly after Former UK PM Boris Johnson left the station.
- Russia hits Ukrainian train shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials leave station
BBC World: The former UK PM said "I don't know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning".
- Russia struck train near Poland border shortly after Boris Johnson and top European officials passed through
BBC World: The former UK PM said "I don't know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning".