Polish foreign minister says Russian terrorism 'is already in the house' after drone hits train near Polish border
At a joint briefing in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski described a Russian drone strike on a passenger train at Yahodyn station on the Ukraine-Poland border as another escalation. He said the attack should serve as final proof that Polish and Ukrainian security are closely linked and warned that Russia's hybrid war has become kinetic. An urgent security meeting was called in Warsaw with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Key points
- Russian drone struck a locomotive of a Kyiv-to-Warsaw passenger train at Yahodyn station in Volyn Oblast on September 13; no casualties reported
- Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking alongside Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv, called the strike 'another escalation' and said 'Russian terrorism is not just knocking on the door — it is already in the house'
- Sikorski said the attack should be definitive proof for Polish society that Poland's and Ukraine's security are closely linked
- Sikorski listed past Russian-linked operations in Europe: arson in Poland, attempted aircraft crashes in Lithuania, an attempted train derailment in Poland, the Leipzig airport attack, agent operations in Britain and Germany, and Russian missiles and drones falling on Polish territory
- Ukraine's Ukrzaliznytsia told the BBC the special train 'YES Express' carrying European officials crossed the border about an hour and a half before the strike
- Sybiha called on Western partners to respond faster with the full force of sanctions against Putin's regime, saying 'Russian barbarians are already at your gates, dear partners'
- An urgent meeting was scheduled in Warsaw on September 13 with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the interior and defense ministers, and security services on the situation near Poland's border
Why it matters
A Russian drone hit a passenger train at Yahodyn station on the Polish border hours after a special train carrying European politicians, diplomats and former heads of state had crossed the same crossing. Sikorski used the strike to argue publicly that Poland's and Ukraine's security are inseparably linked and to recast Russia's hybrid campaign across Europe — arson, sabotage of trains and aircraft, agent operations in Britain and Germany, stray missiles on Polish soil — as a kinetic threat requiring active deterrence. Ukraine's foreign minister used the same moment to press Western partners for faster, more forceful action, while Warsaw convened an urgent security meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the interior and defense ministers and intelligence chiefs.
What happened
On September 13, a Russian drone struck a locomotive of a Kyiv-to-Warsaw passenger train at Yahodyn station in Volyn Oblast, near the Polish border. Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) said no one was injured and noted that the special train 'YES Express', carrying European officials, had crossed into Poland about an hour and a half earlier. The same day, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski held a joint press conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Sikorski called the strike another escalation and said 'Russian terrorism is not just knocking on the door — it is already in the house.' He argued that the war is both physical and ideological for Putin, aimed at restoring Russia's status as a power with the right to dominate others, and said Ukraine and Poland are denying Russia that right. He listed past Russian-linked incidents in Europe: arson in Poland, attempted aircraft crashes in Lithuania, an attempted train derailment in Poland, the Leipzig airport attack, the dispatch of agents to Britain and Germany, and Russian missiles and drones falling on Polish territory. Sikorski said the day's strikes should serve as final proof for Polish society that Polish and Ukrainian security are closely linked, and warned against attempts to pit Poles against Ukrainians. Sybiha appealed to Western partners to respond more quickly with the full force of sanctions, saying 'Russian barbarians are already at your gates, dear partners.' Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said the overnight attack should dispel any doubts in Poland about the need to continue military support for Kyiv. In Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an urgent meeting with the interior and defense ministers and security services on the security situation near Poland's border.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets led with Sikorski's joint appearance in Kyiv alongside Sybiha and highlighted his declaration that the two countries' security are inseparably linked. They framed the Yahodyn strike as proof of a Russian escalation and gave prominent placement to Sybiha's appeal to Western partners for faster sanctions and his 'Russian barbarians are already at your gates' line directed at European counterparts.
How international sources describe it
The English-language outlet focused on the geopolitical significance of a Russian strike on a train near the Ukraine-Poland border, the proximity of European officials and former heads of state to the attack, and Sikorski's framing of the strike as an escalation. International coverage also foregrounded the catalogue of past hybrid operations Sikorski cited — arson in Poland, attempted plane crashes in Lithuania, an attempted train derailment in Poland, the Leipzig airport attack, and agent operations in Britain and Germany — to situate the strike within a broader Russian sabotage campaign against Europe.
Where reporting differs
Coverage diverged on the identity of the Russian figure Sikorski named as praising attempts to pit Poles against Ukrainians: Ukrainian-language reports cited Medvedchuk, while other Ukrainian coverage cited Medvedev. Reports also differed on which train was present at the moment of the Yahodyn strike: earlier Ukrainian reports said a train carrying former CIA director David Petraeus was there, while Ukrzaliznytsia later told the BBC that the special 'YES Express' with officials had crossed the border about an hour and a half before the locomotive was hit, and said the railway could not assert who the target was.
Background
Yahodyn is one of the main rail border crossings between Ukraine and Poland, served by direct Kyiv-to-Warsaw passenger trains. Polish authorities have previously attributed to Russia arson incidents in Poland, attempts to cause aircraft disasters in Lithuania, an attempt to derail a train in Poland, an attack on an airport in Leipzig, and the dispatch of agents to Britain and Germany; Russian missiles and drones have also previously fallen on Polish soil. Ukrzaliznytsia said the 'YES Express' had crossed into Poland roughly an hour and a half before the Yahodyn locomotive was hit and that no casualties were reported from the strike.