Boris Johnson has spoken out on X after a Russian drone strike narrowly missed the train he was travelling on at a Ukrainian border station.
The former British Prime Minister, 61, had departed Yahodyn station ahead of schedule last Friday when the attack hit a stationary locomotive minutes later. He was en route to Poland following a security conference in Kyiv alongside former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt and European security advisers.
Ukrainian rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said in a Telegram post that it was “quite possible” the drone had targeted Johnson’s train specifically. The company explained the train “had departed the station earlier than scheduled due to real-time adjustments to train timetables necessitated by the constant threat of Russian strikes.”
The operator also noted that former CIA director David Petraeus had been on a different train still at the station when the drone struck. No casualties were reported from the incident.
Johnson took to X to condemn the attack and press Western allies for more support for Ukraine.
“I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning,” he wrote.
“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 1,700 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 euro in a Belgian bank account – and about £10 billion in London. Britain could show a lead,” he added.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha branded the strike “barbaric” and warned it showed “Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly on the doors of the EU and Nato.”
“Putin needs to understand that his barbarism will be met with decisive action that increases the cost of war for him to an unacceptable level. This is the only way to stop him,” Sybiha said.
The incident has prompted calls for increased defence spending from British political figures. Stuart Anderson, appointed shadow minister for war preparedness on Sunday, described it as “yet another reminder that Russian aggression is a real and growing threat to European security and, ultimately, our own national security.”
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting also weighed in, stating the strikes “serve as a stark reminder of the bombardment that Ukrainians face every day.”
“Reckless, dangerous attacks on civilian infrastructure so close to Poland also underline the wider security threat Russia poses,” Streeting continued. “The UK continues to stand firm with Ukraine and will continue working with allies and partners to bolster European security.”
The Conservatives have characterised the drone strike as a “stark escalation” by Moscow.
Johnson has been a vocal advocate for sustained military support to Ukraine since leaving Downing Street in 2022, making multiple visits to the country during the ongoing conflict.