Poland and Ukraine on Sunday condemned Russian strikes near their shared border that hit a train bound for Warsaw and railway and energy facilities, describing the attacks as an escalation of the war. The two countries said one strike occurred two kilometers from the Polish border, with no injuries reported.
The Ukrainian Railways said a Russian drone hit a train in the area, while a diplomatic train was stopped at the border station of Yahodyn shortly before the attack. It added that the diplomatic train was carrying security advisers from European Union countries and former European officials, including former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The agency said another train was at the station carrying former CIA Director David Petraeus. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow had deliberately targeted the train, noting that a locomotive caught fire and a fuel station was damaged in Volyn, near the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Russia justifies strikes as Poland warns of escalation
Russia, meanwhile, said it had targeted railway infrastructure used to transport military shipments from European countries. Zelenskyy said the strikes also hit energy facilities and buildings in several Ukrainian regions. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk held an emergency meeting in Warsaw after the strikes, warning that a Russian escalation could be expected in the coming weeks.
He said his country could not rule out the escalation spreading to its territory, expressing hope that this would not happen. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, speaking in Kyiv, urged Ukraine's allies to double their support for the country, saying the attack's proximity to the border affected Polish security.
Strikes coincide with US diplomatic efforts
The strikes came as US President Donald Trump urged Zelenskyy to halt Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying they were causing diesel fuel shortages, and encouraged him to choose other targets. Ukraine had targeted several Russian refineries hundreds of kilometers from its border.
The escalation coincided with US efforts to revive attempts to end the war, following envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner's visits to Moscow and Kyiv. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow did not rule out resuming trilateral talks in October.
Zelenskyy said he was ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit expected to take place in December in Miami, but the Kremlin said a similar meeting could take place only in Moscow.
