Russia strikes Ukrainian train near Polish border after Boris Johnson passes through

A Russian drone struck a train near Ukraine's border with Poland shortly after former British prime minister Boris Johnson and senior European security officials had travelled through the same railway station.

The strike occurred at Yahodyn in western Ukraine and hit the train's engine. No casualties were reported, and Ukrainian authorities said all passengers had been evacuated before the impact.

Johnson, along with other European national security advisers including Britain's Jonathan Powell, had travelled through the area on a separate train while returning from a conference in Kyiv.

Russia said its forces had targeted railway infrastructure in western Ukraine.

Ukraine's state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said the circumstances raised the possibility that the drone may have been aimed at a diplomatic train.

The railway operator said the diplomatic train had departed the station earlier than originally expected after its timetable was changed because of continuing threats of Russian strikes.

The company said passengers on the train that was eventually hit had been ordered to evacuate only about 15 minutes before the Russian drone attack.

The railway authority also said former CIA director David Petraeus was aboard another train at Yahodyn station when the strike occurred.

Ukrainian and Polish authorities said the drone hit approximately two kilometres from the Polish border, highlighting the proximity of the incident to NATO territory.

The strike comes as Russia continues to target Ukraine's railway network, which remains a critical part of the country's transport system and is widely used to move passengers, military personnel and essential supplies during the war.

The presence of senior European officials and a former senior US intelligence chief in the area has added significance to the incident, although there has been no independent confirmation that the drone was specifically targeting any of the officials or their train.