Russian drones target Kyiv-bound officials as ground war stalls

September 18, 2026 at 11:19 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Russian drones struck a Ukrainian train carrying European officials near the Polish border on September 13, and a drone entered Moldovan airspace as President Zelenskyy's plane prepared to depart on September 8. The attacks come as Russia's ground offensive in Donetsk lost 85 square kilometres of previously occupied territory. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the strikes "Putin's terror knocking on the doors of the EU and NATO."

Key Facts

On September 13, Russian drones struck a Ukrainian train locomotive 5km from the Polish border, endangering European officials including former British PM Boris Johnson.
On September 8, a Russian drone entered Moldovan airspace as President Zelenskyy's plane prepared to depart Chisinau, delaying the flight.
Russia's attempt to seize Lyman resulted in the loss of 85 square kilometres of territory it had occupied in Donetsk.
Russian drones and missiles struck four Ukrainian border crossings to Moldova in recent weeks.
Kremlin Ambassador-at-large Rodion Miroshnik said the strikes were justified to stop Western military aid from reaching Kyiv.

Drone Strikes on Officials

On September 13, Russian drones struck a Ukrainian train locomotive 5km from the Polish border, endangering European officials travelling to Warsaw after the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European political and security officials were on the train, according to Ukraine's railway company Ukrzaliznytsia. A Russian drone also struck a petrol station 2km from the Polish border, destroying or damaging a number of trucks. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he expects a period of "very intensified actions by Russia", possibly including an escalation affecting Polish territory. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the strikes "Putin's terror knocking directly on the doors of the EU and NATO".

Ground War Setbacks

Russia's attempt to seize the city of Lyman resulted in the loss of 85 square kilometres of territory it had previously occupied in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. The setback emerged this week, adding to signs that Russia's ground war is stalling. On September 6, US diplomatic envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff flew to Poland before taking a train to Kyiv after Russian strikes disrupted flights to the Ukrainian capital. Russian drones and missiles have also struck four Ukrainian border crossings to Moldova in recent weeks.

Kremlin Justification

Kremlin Ambassador-at-large Rodion Miroshnik said the strikes were justified as part of Russia's effort to stop Western military aid from reaching Kyiv. Miroshnik wrote on social media that Ukraine has turned its ports, border crossings and logistics centres into "military targets", and that Kyiv was "reaping the inevitable consequences".