New Delhi: On Sunday, a Russian drone targeted a train very close to the Ukraine-Poland border. The attack took place at Yahodin railway station, where a diplomatic train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and security advisors from European countries had passed shortly before. The government railway company of Ukraine has expressed apprehension that the real target of the drone may have been the diplomatic train, which had left the station before the scheduled time due to security reasons. There is no of any casualty in the incident.
Was the train of foreign officials the target of the drone?
The train carrying Boris Johnson, Carl Bildt and security advisers from several EU countries had been diverted from Yahodyn station in advance, according to Ukraine’s state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia. These officers were returning from a security conference held in Kiev. The railway operator said that there is a strong possibility that the target of the attacking drone was the same train, but this is still a suspicion, which has not been independently confirmed.
Which train was present at the station at the time of the attack?
After the departure of the diplomatic train, there was another passenger train at Yahodin station. The locomotive of this train was attacked by a Russian drone. According to reports, the passengers on board the train were evacuated safely before the drone attack. No death or injury to any passenger was reported in the incident. Information about the presence of David Petraeus, former director of America’s Central Intelligence Agency, in another train has also come to light.
What did Boris Johnson say on the attack?
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the attack a very serious and senseless action. He said that Ukrainian citizens and railway workers are continuously facing such attacks. Johnson also stressed the need for Ukraine to provide better air defence.
Former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt also shared the video of the attack on social media. He said the train that was attacked was in the same area shortly after it passed.
Why is an attack so close to the Polish border important?
Yahodin station is said to be about two kilometres from the Polish border. That means this attack took place very close to the border of NATO member country Poland. A truck was also attacked in the same area, after which the Yahodin-Doruhusk border post had to be closed for some time. This incident has increased concerns about the further spread of war in Europe.
What did Russia claim about the attack?
Moscow said that the target of the Russian attack was the logistics infrastructure that was being used to deliver military goods from Europe to western Ukraine. The Ukrainian side says that the attack on the railway took place when the train of foreign officials had passed through there. Therefore, questions are being raised regarding the possibility of the diplomatic train being targeted. At present it is not clear who was the actual target of the attack.
Could this incident further increase Russia-NATO tensions?
The Russian drone attack so close to the Polish border has further aggravated the already tense atmosphere. Ukraine has been continuously demanding additional air defence systems from Western countries. In this incident, a major accident was averted as the train of foreign officials left a few minutes earlier, but such an attack near the border has definitely raised new concerns about the security of Europe.
