'Putin's terror': Russian drone hits Kyiv-Warsaw train near Polish border as nationwide attacks kill 6, injure 43

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured 43 others over the past day, regional authorities reported on Sept. 13, as Moscow launched a mass drone assault that heavily targeted western regions far from the front line.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 453 Shahed and Gerbera drones, including some jet-powered Shaheds, as well as Parodiya decoy drones and S8000 Banderol missiles.

Ukrainian forces intercepted 405 drones and six S8000 Banderol missiles. Hits were recorded at 13 locations, while falling debris was reported at seven other sites.

The assault was particularly heavy in western Ukraine, which typically sees fewer Russian attacks than Kyiv, Odesa, and front-line regions.

The strikes prompted air raid warnings in neighboring Poland, where the country's Government Security Center issued an air threat alert for several counties in Lublin Voivodeship near the Ukrainian border.

Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia used rainy weather to launch gasoline-powered Shahed drones against areas farther from the front line, apparently expecting the conditions to make the drones harder to intercept.

In Volyn Oblast, in Ukraine's northwest, over the past day, Russian forces attacked with drones, injuring at least five people, according to regional Governor Roman Romaniuk.

Separately, a Russian drone struck the locomotive of a Kyiv–Warsaw train near Ukraine's border with Poland, Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) reported. The train was about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Polish border. No passengers were injured.

"This is (Vladimir) Putin's terror, 'knocking' directly on the doors of the EU and NATO. Russian barbarians are at your gate, dear partners," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

In neighboring Rivne Oblast, Russian attacks caused power outages in parts of the city of Dubno and in the Rivne district, according to regional Governor Oleksandr Koval. An unspecified enterprise in the Sarny district was also destroyed in the attack.

No casualties were reported, and energy crews were working to restore electricity, Koval said.

In Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, a Russian attack at dawn damaged an industrial facility. One person was injured. An apartment building in Ivano-Frankivsk was also damaged, with windows shattered, Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk said.

Russian drones also struck Ternopil, damaging a transport infrastructure facility and an industrial building, acting head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration Taras Pastukh said. One person has been reported injured.

In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, falling drone debris sparked a fire at an enterprise. In Lviv Oblast, several residential and utility buildings, as well as a school building, were damaged. No injuries were reported in either region.

In Odesa Oblast, Russian forces attacked civilian infrastructure, damaging the upper floors of a residential building and several private homes. A fire also broke out in the Botanical Garden, while warehouses and a children's sanatorium were damaged, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. Information on casualties is still being clarified.

In Mykolaiv Oblast, a 71-year-old woman was killed in a Russian drone attack overnight. Russian forces also targeted energy infrastructure in the city of Mykolaiv, leaving part of the city without electricity, acting head of the regional military administration Heorhii Reshetilov said.

Four people were injured in Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia Oblast, while Russian forces carried out 964 strikes across 58 settlements in the oblast over the past day, co-head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defense Council Ivan Fedorov said.

In eastern Donetsk Oblast, three people were killed, and 11 were injured as a result of Russian attacks, the Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Residential houses and administrative buildings were damaged.

In Chernihiv Oblast, Russian forces killed one person and injured three others, according to the Governor Viacheslav Chaus. The region has been under an air raid alert for more than 24 hours.

Three people were also injured in Kharkiv Oblast, where civilian infrastructure was damaged and destroyed, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and nine were injured in Russian attacks, the Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Apartment buildings and private homes were damaged, along with a cultural center, gas pipeline, garages, and cars.

Six people, including a 6-month-old child, were injured across multiple settlements in Sumy Oblast, according to the military administration. The region has also been under an air raid alert for more than 24 hours.

Western Ukrainian regions have repeatedly come under Russian long-range drone and missile attacks targeting energy, transport, and other infrastructure.

Although they are targeted less frequently than Kyiv and Odesa, and far less frequently than front-line areas of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Russian drones have increasingly reached western Ukraine during large-scale nationwide assaults.

The latest strikes on western Ukraine were part of a wider Russian drone assault on Sept. 12. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine during the day.