On September 13, Russia struck a Ukrainian train near the country’s border with Poland, shortly after former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other top European national security advisers, including the UK’s Jonathan Powell, had left the Yahodyn railway station. Johnson and the other officials had passed through the station while traveling back home from a conference in Kyiv.
Russia's Defense Ministry claims that it was targeting "railway infrastructure facilities in western Ukraine that are used to transport military cargoes from European countries," according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS. Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state railway company, suggested that "the diplomatic train" with the officials could have been the target.
Former CIA Chief David Petraeus, who had been on board another train at the station at the time of the attack, described the strike as "terrifying" when speaking to The New York Times.
Indeed, from cyber strikes to worst-case nuclear nightmares, UK officials are revisiting how the country would respond if things got ugly with Russia. It’s part caution, part strategy—and a reminder that modern security is more than just spies and satellites.
So, is the UK bracing for a Russian attack? Click on to see what government updates reveal about today’s global tensions.