Boris Johnson calls Putin's railway strike on Ukraine "hysterical" and pointless

Boris Johnson criticised Vladimir Putin following a Russian assault on a Ukrainian passenger train, describing the act as hysterical and without purpose. Johnson explained he became aware of the incident only after his return to the UK, when messages began arriving about the strike. He pointed out that attacks on Ukraine's rail network have surged dramatically in the last half-year, far exceeding the total of the previous four years.

Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called the bombing barbaric and a direct threat to the EU and NATO. The railway operator said the train left early due to real-time timetable changes aimed at evading Russian strikes. The UK Conservative Party called the attack a stark escalation and pushed for increased defence spending, while shadow war-preparedness minister Stuart Anderson and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned that the strikes underscore a growing security danger for Europe and the UK.