Kathrine Frich
Johnson was not the only prominent figure on board.
Traveling across a war zone is always a calculated risk for foreign officials.
Usually, armored convoys and strict secrecy keep these high-profile visitors out of harm’s way. Sometimes, the danger gets too close for comfort.
A close call
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a frightening start to his Sunday. He was riding a privately chartered train toward Poland after attending a major security conference in Kyiv.
According to daily Express it was at around 5 am local time, when alarms sounded. Security teams quickly stopped the special train and evacuated the passengers following a sudden warning.
The danger was real. A Russian drone swooped down on the railway line, targeting a different passenger train just minutes behind them.
Minutes from disaster
Johnson was not the only prominent figure on board. Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and several German diplomats were traveling alongside him.
Bildt shared his perspective on the ordeal. He explained that a neighboring train took the actual hit near the Polish border.
“This wasn’t our train [that was hit], but the one just minutes after us by the [Polish] border crossing,” Bildt noted. “It was evacuated as the [Russian] drone approached and no one was hurt.”
He added that his train received an emergency warning but eventually managed to reach the Dorohusk crossing safely.
Targeting the tracks
Airspace above the country remains closed to commercial flights. The railway system therefore serves as the main lifeline connecting Kyiv to Europe.
State-owned operator Ukrainian Railways reported that its staff remain on high alert. The company claims Russian forces are systematically attacking the rail network to disrupt crucial supply routes.
The second train, carrying 206 people on the Kyiv-Warsaw route, suffered a direct strike. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that nobody was injured in the attack.
Knocking on the door
The location of the strike has sparked intense alarm among Western allies. The targeted area sits right next to NATO territory.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned the strike. “This is Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly on the doors of the EU and NATO. Russian barbarians are at your gate, dear partners,” Sybiha said.
German politician Robin Wagener, who traveled with Johnson, gave a similar statement to Der Spiegel.
“Russia is becoming increasingly unscrupulous and is playing with fire right on the border of the European Union and NATO; we must finally put a clear stop to this terror,” Wagener warned.
Sources: Daily Express, Ukrainian Railways, Der Spiegel, news reports
