Russia’s drones threaten Kyiv-bound Western officials as war effort stalls

Russia has threatened the safety of Ukrainian, American and European officials travelling to and from Kyiv using drones.

Details emerged this week of its latest setback when an attempt to seize the city of Lyman resulted in the loss of 85 square kilometres (33 square miles) of territory Russia had previously occupied in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

On September 13, Russian drones struck a Ukrainian train locomotive 5km (3 miles) from the border with Poland, endangering European officials travelling to Warsaw after they attended the Yalta European Strategy conference, an annual gathering of global political, business and civil society leaders in Kyiv.

Boris Johnson, Britain’s former premier, and European political and security officials were on the train.

Ukraine’s railway company, Ukraliznytsia, said the locomotive of the passenger train had been struck.

A Russian drone also struck a petrol station 2km (1.2 miles) from the Polish border, destroying or damaging a number of trucks.

Polish premier Donald Tusk said he expects a period of “very intensified actions by Russia”, possibly including an “escalation will also affect our territory”.

“This is Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly on the doors of the EU and NATO,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on social media.