Rutte called Russia's strike on a passenger train near the Polish border "Putin's desperation" and pledged to strengthen support for Ukraine

Strike on a train right at the border: what happened on September 13

On September 13, 2026, near the Russian-Ukrainian border in Volyn Oblast, the locomotive of a passenger train was struck at Yagodyn station. The incident occurred in close proximity to the border with Poland, which immediately sparked a resonance among NATO member states. Amid the shelling, Polish military recorded increased aviation activity over the border areas; residents of the Lublin and Subcarpathian voivodeships were warned of the danger. The incident became one of the most acute episodes on the front in terms of geographic proximity to the territory of the Alliance.

Rutte's statement at a briefing with the Slovenian prime minister

The following day, on September 14, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke at a joint briefing with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša. According to data transmitted by the NATO website and confirmed by Ukrainian outlets RBC-Ukraine and TSN, Rutte directly linked the attack on the passenger train to the state of the Russian leadership. "Yesterday's strike on a passenger train in Ukraine near NATO territory shows Putin's desperation. He thinks he can stop us from supporting Ukraine, that he can undermine our unity. He is wrong," the head of the Alliance stated. Rutte emphasized that Russia is becoming "increasingly irresponsible" in continuing its war.

The Alliance's response: strengthening support and defending every centimeter of territory

According to Rutte, the allies' response to such actions will be an increase in the volume of support for Ukraine, so that the country has everything necessary for its defense. The NATO Secretary General also gave a guarantee that the Alliance "will do everything possible to defend every centimeter of the territory of member states." These statements came against the backdrop of ongoing discussions within NATO on the formats of military aid and long-term security commitments to Kyiv.

Moscow's reaction: Peskov ignored the accusations

According to available data, the press secretary of the President of Russia, Dmitry Peskov, ignored the direct accusations against Russia made by Ukraine and the European Union in connection with the strike on Yagodyn station. No public comment was made in the Kremlin confirming or denying the involvement of Russian forces in the attack. The absence of an official reaction from Moscow against the backdrop of Rutte's sharp statements and Polish authorities' warnings intensifies the information tension around the incident.

Contradictory data

The source materials and editorial formulations contain the claim that it was Vladimir Putin who "gave the order" to shell the train. Neither in Rutte's statement nor in the reports of Ukrainian and Polish authorities is there direct confirmation that the order came personally from the President of Russia. The fact is that the strike was carried out against an object on Ukrainian territory by a side that Kyiv and Brussels attribute to Russia. The characterization of the motives ("desperation") is an evaluative judgment by the NATO Secretary General, not an established fact. Thus, the difference between the confirmed fact of the attack and the interpretation of its political meaning remains open.