On September 13, a Russian drone hit the locomotive of a passenger train carrying 208 people traveling from Kyiv to Warsaw just kilometers from the Ukrainian-Polish border. The incident occurred as Russia’s air strikes are moving closer to NATO territory, prompting concerns over escalating tensions. Ukraine’s state railway operator confirmed that despite the strike, no one was injured due to early warnings from a monitoring group, and the train continued its journey after a delay of about six hours at the border.
In parallel developments, Russian authorities reported casualties in their own country: two people were killed and twelve injured when Ukrainian drones struck Nizhnekamsk in Tatarstan. This city houses significant oil refineries and petrochemical plants, indicating strategic targeting by Ukraine on critical Russian infrastructure. The incident was part of ongoing mutual drone strikes between the countries, with Kyiv aiming to disrupt Russia’s energy sector as a key source for war funding.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized Moscow's actions, emphasizing that these attacks are threatening NATO and EU security directly. Meanwhile, Polish officials confirmed no border violation but described it as an escalation by Putin. The Yahodyn border crossing area in Ukraine also faced Russian drone strikes the same day, further highlighting the proximity of combat to allied territories.
