Boris Johnson hits out at ‘warped’ Putin as his train escapes across Polish border minutes before Russian drone hits one behind his

Boris Johnson has hit out at ‘warped’ Vladimir Putin after his train escaped across the Ukrainian-Polish border before a Russian drone strike.

The former prime minister was aboard a private train that was forced to speed up to reach Poland this morning after an incoming drone hundreds of kilometres away was detected. 

Mr Johnson, 62, had been attending a major security conference in Kyiv prior to the trip, and eventually crossed the border at 7.42am.

A little more than an hour later, another locomotive travelling from Kyiv to Warsaw was ordered to evacuate urgently ahead of a strike. 

A ‘stationary’ train was later struck at 9.28am at Yahodyn station, on the border with Poland, by a Russian drone. All of those who were on-board had already left the train and no one suffered injuries. 

Mr Johnson is understood to have already been on his way to Warsaw Airport by the time of the attack. Exclusive photos of the aftermath of the strike were shared with the Daily Mail this afternoon. 

Mr Johnson later wrote on X: ‘I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary locomotive on the Polish border this morning. 

‘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. 

‘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? Why won’t we unfreeze Putin’s cash and give it to Ukraine? 

‘There is more than €140 billion in a Belgian bank account – and about £10 billion in London. Britain could show a lead. 

This photo shows the damage to the front of the train in the aftermath of the drone strike

A rail worker assesses the damage to the railway line after the incident

It is not clear if anyone had to leave the train before it then escaped across the border

Passengers in part of the train were woken by conductors and temporarily evacuated as drones were detected near the railway line

‘The Ukrainians are going to win – that much was clear from the last three days in their wonderful country. 

‘But we will get this dreadful war over much faster if we all get serious and give them what they need and deserve.’

Mr Johnson escaped unharmed, with an all-clear given shortly afterwards when no further drones were detected.

Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt, who was on board same train as Johnson, said passengers received an evacuation warning. 

But it is not clear if anyone had to leave the train before it then escaped across the border to Nato territory in Poland.

He revealed that it was the train immediately behind them that was hit by the Russian drone.

‘This wasn’t our train [that was hit], but the one just minutes after us by the [Polish] border crossing,’ said Mr Bildt.

‘It was evacuated as the [Russian] drone approached and no one was hurt.’

The train which was later struck was travelling on the Kyiv-Warsaw route around 2km from the Polish border. 

More than 200 people were on board prior to the evacuation, though no one suffered injuries, Ukrainian authorities said. 

Mr Johnson and other officials had been in Kyiv for the 2026 annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy. He is pictured addressing the conference earlier this year in February

During the international security conference Western officials held discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government about possible peace negotiations with Russia

Mr Johnson’s train was also carrying Günter Sautter, one of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s closest foreign and security-policy advisers, as well as security advisers from Britain, France and Italy, German MPs, diplomats and academics. 

Mr Johnson and the other officials had been in Kyiv for the 2026 annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy, an international security conference where Western officials held discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government about possible peace negotiations with Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said a Russian drone had also struck the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing, one of the country’s most important links with the European Union.

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show trucks on fire at the crossing, while Ukrainian media reported that a petrol station had also been hit. There were no immediate reports of casualties and the Polish military confirmed the attack.

The attack came just two kilometres from the Polish border, according to Ukrainian railway officials, raising concerns about Russian strikes reaching increasingly close to Nato territory.

Russian drones have increasingly targeted Ukrainian rail infrastructure, with Ukrainian Railways accusing Moscow of carrying out systematic attacks on the network.

The state-owned operator said its monitoring centre and staff were ‘on high alert’ following nationwide attacks, warning passengers of possible evacuations, delays and diversions.

Robin Wagener, a Green Party member of the German Bundestag who was also aboard the special train, described the attack as a dangerous escalation.

‘These drone attacks are blind terror against Ukrainian civilians and a dangerous escalation in Putin’s war,’ Mr Wagener told Der Spiegel.

The MP said he believed the strikes were also intended as a warning to countries supporting Ukraine.

‘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,’ Mr Wagener demanded.

The attack came as Russia launched a major wave of strikes across Ukraine, with Ukrainian authorities reporting hundreds of drones being used overnight. 

Russian attacks near the Polish frontier have also prompted heightened concern in Warsaw, with Polish authorities activating defensive measures following the latest strikes.