Putin Hit a Passenger Train with a North Korean Missile (w/ Caolan Robertson)

Summary

Bulwark Takes: Putin Hit a Passenger Train with a North Korean Missile (w/ Caolan Robertson) Release Date: June 25, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this intense episode of Bulwark Takes, host Tim Miller engages in a critical discussion with quasi-Ukraine correspondent Kaylin Robertson about the escalating violence in Ukraine. The conversation delves into a recent tragic attack on a Ukrainian passenger train, the broader surge in Russian assaults, the geopolitical ties involving Iran and North Korea, the apparent media negligence, and the frustrating stagnation within NATO's support framework.

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Tragic Assault on Ukrainian Railways

[01:15 - 04:14]

The episode opens with Kaylin Robertson reporting live from a Ukrainian train station devastated by a Russian missile strike. He describes the harrowing scene at the Dnitro station—the second largest in Ukraine—where over ten lives were lost due to the missile attack.

Kaylin Robertson [01:32]: "These trains are iconic in Ukraine... the Russians put a missile into one of them today. It’s harrowing."

Despite the destruction, the station remains operational, showcasing the remarkable resilience of the Ukrainian people.

Tim Miller [02:32]: "The resiliency is just unbelievable, it's remarkable."

Kaylin emphasizes the symbolic significance of the Ukrainian railway system, referring to the workers as the "Iron People and the Iron Family," highlighting their crucial role in maintaining connectivity and resisting aggression.

Kaylin Robertson [03:23]: "The rail networks are the lifeblood of this country... it’s symbolic of Ukraine's resistance."

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Surge in Russian Assaults and Geopolitical Connections

[04:14 - 10:25]

The discussion shifts to the alarming increase in Russian attacks over the past ten days, a stark escalation compared to previous months. Kaylin attributes this uptick to Russia's failed summer offensive attempts to seize eastern Ukrainian cities like Sumy and Konstantinovka.

Kaylin Robertson [06:57]: "Russia is resorting to terrorizing the civilian population... it's a desperation tactic."

A significant portion of these assaults involves the use of Shahid drones, Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles, and North Korean ballistic missiles. Kaylin explains that Russia's reliance on Iranian and North Korean technology underscores a deeper geopolitical alliance aimed at sustaining their offensive capabilities.

Kaylin Robertson [04:52]: "Iran and North Korea... are supplying the weapons that Russia has been using against civilians every single night."

The tie between Russia's aggression in Ukraine and its strategic partnerships with Iran and North Korea is highlighted as a pivotal factor exacerbating the conflict.

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Media Coverage and NATO's Inaction

[10:25 - 15:47]

Kaylin criticizes the Western media's insufficient coverage of the atrocities in Ukraine, pointing out a disturbing trend of media outlets portraying the conflict as a two-sided issue, sometimes insinuating Ukrainian culpability for Russian bombings.

Kaylin Robertson [12:42]: "Most of the media still think that there are two sides to this conflict... they don't cover the atrocities that happen here every single night."

He laments the lack of substantial reporting on events like the missile strike on the passenger train in Dnipro, contrasting it with how such incidents would dominate media coverage if they occurred elsewhere.

Tim Miller echoes these sentiments, expressing frustration over the media's "boredom" and lack of focus on Ukraine, which he believes hampers international support and solidarity.

Tim Miller [14:39]: "The lack of interest... we need to have a focus on it."

Regarding NATO, Kaylin is highly critical of the alliance's perceived ineffectiveness and inaction. He notes Ukraine's longstanding desire to join NATO, only to face rejection, which he argues has contributed to the current dire situation.

Kaylin Robertson [09:34]: "NATO showed no interest in allowing [Ukraine] to join... there's a lot of resentment towards NATO."

He further points out that NATO meetings yield little to no actionable support, leaving Ukraine to fend for itself by developing its own ballistic missiles and defense mechanisms internally.

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Ukrainian Resilience and Community Strength

[02:32 - 04:14]

Amidst the grim discussions, Kaylin highlights the unwavering spirit of the Ukrainian people. Despite frequent missile attacks and the destruction of vital infrastructure, Ukrainians continue their daily lives with remarkable normalcy and determination.

Kaylin Robertson [02:48]: "People look slightly more nervous, but they just carry on as much as normal as possible."

He underscores the critical role of the Ukrainian railway workers, whose swift repairs and relentless efforts keep the nation's lifelines active, embodying the resilience and indomitable spirit of Ukraine.

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Final Insights and Call to Action

[15:12 - 15:47]

As the conversation draws to a close, Tim Miller urges listeners to advocate for increased military and material support for Ukraine, drawing parallels to effective interventions in the Middle East that prevented further atrocities.

Tim Miller [14:39]: "There needs to be more aid. There needs to be more military aid and assistance."

Kaylin concludes by expressing gratitude for the platform to shed light on these critical issues, emphasizing the dire need for independent media voices to challenge mainstream narratives and bring genuine attention to Ukraine's plight.

Kaylin Robertson [15:12]: "Thank you for being there, man. But that's the situation here."

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Conclusion

This episode of Bulwark Takes serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggles in Ukraine amidst increasing Russian aggression. Through detailed reporting and incisive analysis, Tim Miller and Kaylin Robertson shed light on the human cost of the conflict, the complex geopolitical ties fueling it, and the urgent need for sustained international support and media attention. The discussion not only highlights the resilience of the Ukrainian people but also calls for a reassessment of global strategies to effectively address and mitigate the crisis.

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Notable Quotes:

• Kaylin Robertson [01:32]: "The Russians put a missile into one of them today. And it's harrowing."
• Tim Miller [02:32]: "The resiliency is just unbelievable, it's remarkable."
• Kaylin Robertson [04:52]: "Iran and North Korea are supplying the weapons that Russia has been using against civilians every single night."
• Kaylin Robertson [12:42]: "Most of the media still think that there are two sides to this conflict... they don't cover the atrocities that happen here every single night."
• Tim Miller [14:39]: "There needs to be more aid. There needs to be more military aid and assistance."

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Note: For a deeper understanding and ongoing updates, listeners are encouraged to follow Kaylin Robertson’s platforms and stay engaged with Bulwark Takes for future discussions and analyses.

Transcript

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[Tim Miller]

Hey, guys, Tim Miller here at the Bulwark. I'm with our, you know, kind of quasi Ukraine correspondent, Kaylin Robertson, who you should be following on his platforms. And he's coming at us live here from one of the train stations in Ukraine that got hit by a Russian missile. Was it earlier today or overnight? Tell us about it.

[Kaylin Robertson]

So it was earlier today. It wasn't this station, but these trains go to that station. The station was Dnitro, which is kind of the second biggest station in Ukraine. And over 10 people have already been confirmed killed now. And it was extremely dramatic. I mean, these trains are iconic in Ukraine. And you know, this is where diplomats, ambassadors, this is, these are the trains that Biden came in on, on Rail Force One. And the Russians put a missile into one of them today. And it's harrowing. If you look at the footage, it's people in the sleeping compartments. You know, if you look at all the hallways are covered in blood. All the windows are all destroyed. And it's just a pattern. Russia's been, Russia has been doing this the last 10 days way more than they have probably in the last six months to a year. They hit a maternity hospital in Odessa. They hit a residential building here in Kiev two nights ago that killed ten people. And every single night they've been putting three or four hundred drones into Ukraine. When Trump took office, that was around 200 drones a night. So it's twice as bad now from when Trump took office. That's how quickly it's. It's deteriorating.

[Tim Miller]

I want to talk about kind of that uptick in an assault onto Ukraine over the last 10 days. But just really quick on the train attack. And it's kind of amazing to me that the trains are still going. It looks like people behind you are getting on the train that hasn't shut. It hasn't shut down.

[Kaylin Robertson]

This train is about to leave in the next couple of minutes. But this station has been just as busy as it normally is today, going to stations all across Ukraine and people look slightly more nervous. But in Ukraine, people are used to this, so they just carry on as much as normal as possible. But it was kind of crazy to see. I thought when I got to the station an hour after the attack, which was earlier today, that it would be partially closed down or, you know, people would be a bit nervous. But it was just exactly as it normally is here in Kyiv.

[Tim Miller]

The resiliency is just unbelievable, is remarkable. It's just kind of hard for me to wrap my head around. I don't. I don't know, having never been in this situation, like, you don't know what you would do, you know?

[Kaylin Robertson]

Yeah, I mean, Ukrainians, I guess, are really used to this. But I made a video earlier today talking about Ukrainian railway being a complete institution. The 180,000 workers that keep all these lines running every single day, a lot of them have military status because they bring aid, food, people all across this country. And if a track gets bombed, which happens a lot, they have it fixed in a couple of hours, and then things just carry on the next day. So it's a kind of an institution within itself, but it's also a symbol of Ukraine's resistance. You know, the rail networks that are the lifeblood of this country that keep going every single day, and the rail employees of these trains here are referred to in Ukraine as the Iron People and the Iron Family, which is really lovely to all of them. And they all have this really special status, not just in the military, but in people's hearts here. And it's quite beautiful. But again, it's symbolic of Ukraine and the resilience of Ukraine.

[Tim Miller]

We'll put the link to that other video watching in the show notes. It's truly remarkable for people to see. So let's talk about this uptick in attacks. I mean, obviously the world's focus has been kind of going on what's been going on in Iran and Israel. And like, amidst all of that, there's a connection there. And you even have an Iranian Foreign minister going to Russia and Medvedev tweeting about how he's gonna give warheads to Iran. So there is a connection. So it's noteworthy that Putin has stepped up the violence and the assault on civilians in Ukraine kind of under the media cover of what's happening in the Middle East. Do you think that there's a connection there?

[Kaylin Robertson]

There's a huge connection. The drones that fly over the skies and hit the buildings here every single night are called Shahid drones. They are Iranian made drones. Russia manufacture a lot of those parts now. But Iran has been supplying a lot of the weapons that Russia has been using against civilians here every single night. Iran and North Korea. The missiles that hit Dnipro today were North Korean ballist missiles. And this matters because Russia had a bit of an axis of evil going on. They had Moscow, you had Assad in Syria, you had Iran and you had North Korea. This is what was keeping the whole thing going. You had a sad fall not eight months ago. Now you've got a destabilization in Iran. So Putin is freaking out. If the Iran regime falls apart and it's no longer sympathetic to Putin, he loses access to the Persian Gulf. That's the water. That's the last military strategy that he has, that military stronghold in the Middle east after Syria, there's nothing left. And that looks terrible for Putin on the world stage. It makes him look more isolated, but makes him more isolated. Iran allows Russian airplanes to fly over the airspace that won't be allowed anymore. And he'll lose access basically to a huge part of the Middle East. So it's super tied into this. This is why Putin is furious about the American airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites, because he needs Iran and the Iran regime to exist for him to continue bombing this country. And Ukrainians are kind of bittersweet about it as well, because, you know, Ukrainians disarmed their nuclear weapons decades ago when the west asked them to. And Ukrainians now watch every single time. Russia threatens the world with nuclear disaster when they offer support to Ukraine. So this country knows that it is bad for a dictatorship to have nuclear weapons because they use them as threats. So they don't want Iran to have nuclear weapons. But they also feel pretty sad about it because America has essentially pretended that Ukraine was its proper ally and Russia was its enemy for a very long time. Well, America actually showed last week what having an ally and an enemy actually was. And that was literally striking the heart of military in Iran for Israel. And they've offered Nothing like this for Ukraine. So it's also kind of depressing for a lot of people as well. But Iran is completely tied in.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, there's another depressing element to it. To me, watching all of this and watching how the Iranian missiles aimed at Qatar and Bahrain, well, easily rebuffed by American patriots. And we've seen that America has the capability to help Israel, help our Gulf allies defend itself from these missiles, and yet they're not offering that to Ukraine. And we have trains getting bombed, people dying in a democratic ally, allegedly in Europe, and it feels like we have the capability to help, and we're not. I mean, is that the sense that folks have there?

[Kaylin Robertson]

Yeah, that was, that was the instant reaction from Ukrainians as well. When I was speaking to people here, it was, okay, that's what it looks like when America actually wants to help. That's what it looks like. So, yeah, so it's, it's, it's difficult. And I don't talk about the reasons for any of this. Why Trump did it, if Trump should have done it. Anything about Israel, that's kind of irrelevant when it comes to Ukraine. This is just about the implications for Ukraine. But again, back to what you were saying earlier. The reason that the attacks have increased so much is because Russia tried to start its summer offensive, and it hasn't worked. They tried to take Sumy, they tried to take Konstantinovka. These are cities in the east of Ukraine, and they've made almost no ground. And so the backup to that is just to terrorize the civilian population, try and grind them down, try to get them to give up support on their own country, try to get them to turn on Zelensky. It's a desperation tactic, and it is desperate because last weekend I made a video talking about how Russian soldiers have now been intercepted in the radios, resorting to cannibalism, literally eating each other in certain parts of the east, which shows a total breakdown in morale and logistics in basically everything when it comes to war. Cannibalism hasn't been seen in wartime since. Since World War II in Europe, which was during Leningrad. We know how crazy Leningrad was. So it shows a complete disaster on the Russian front line. The result to that is, okay, we'll bomb Odessa, we'll bomb the cities, we'll bomb the train stations. That's what Russia does out of desperation. And they're extra desperate now.

[Tim Miller]

We call that dommering here in America where they've got to eat each other. It's an American cultural reference you won't know about. But you can Google it after NATO is meeting, Trump's going, there's a NATO meeting today. Like, what is the ask at this point? I mean, if I'm Ukraine, I'm just like, I'm utterly frustrated by the lack of support from materiel, wise and otherwise to defend against these attacks on civilians. NATO's meeting, like, what is the hope that the outcome might be that might be helpful?

[Kaylin Robertson]

There isn't really much thought about NATO, not from people in this country either. This country has wanted to join NATO since 2022, and NATO showed no interest in allowing it to join. If it had joined or if it hadn't given up its nukes, none of this would have happened. And so there's a lot of resentment towards NATO. And honestly, I haven't even been following it that much because nothing comes from NATO meetings. It's conversations. Those conversations finish, Zelensky comes back to Ukraine, Ukraine gets bombed. 2026, there's another NATO meeting. Zelensky comes back, Ukraine gets bombed. Honestly, nothing changes from these NATO meetings. And the expectations of NATO right now are really, really, really small. Ukraine are developing their own ballistic missiles, their own weapons. We had Operation Spiderweb. All these interesting things that Ukraine is doing, but they're doing it internally because they've realized they can't rely on things like NATO. It just doesn't really, it doesn't have any impact anymore.

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[Tim Miller]

Well, you've covered it a little bit, but I guess just one more time because you made a comment on social media, I think that was right about just if this was happening in any other country, like there'd be wall to wall news coverage. I mean, the kind of boredom with which the western media now has resorted to when it comes to their posture towards covering this war, I mean, it's just, it's kind of crazy to me, the lack of interest. So make a pitch about what has happened in the last 10 days and why it's crucial for there to be more coverage and more focus on what's happening in Ukraine.

[Kaylin Robertson]

Well, this is why it's amazing that you're talking about this because the media still think, most of the media still think that there are two sides to this conflict. And they think when Russia bombs Ukraine that somehow Ukraine is still maybe to blame. And so they don't cover the atrocities that happen here every single night. Like today. The very fact that a passenger train in Europe was hit with a North Korean ballistic missile is absolutely outrageous. It is, it is a story that if you told somebody sitting in a pub, they'd probably fall off the chair with shock. And if you were sitting on a train from London to Paris and a North Korean ballistic missile hit that train, you would not stop reading about it for weeks. There would be documentaries, there'd be movies made about it. Yet it happened here today in Dnipro, literally a few hours from here, here. And I have seen probably seven or eight articles. And again, it's because a lot of the media and not you guys, this is why independent media is so, so fantastic, is, is because it genuinely views Russia and Ukraine as maybe two sides and they think that, that Ukraine is somehow to blame for this. And if you look at actually CNN recently and a few different mainstream media outlets, when Russia bombed Ukraine, they cited Ukraine's operations, Operation Spider Web. They started saying, well, they kind of deserved it. They kind of asked for it when Ukraine was literally hitting military targets. So that's why this is happening. But it's not just the train, it's the maternity hospital that got smashed to pieces in Odessa. When I was there, literally two weeks ago, drones were flying past my windows and crashing into apartment complexes. I made a video two weeks ago in Odessa where it broke curfew because there were buildings on fire all around my apartment. There was a woman that had to be pulled out of her apartment building holding a photo of her grandparents. That's the only thing she had left running through the streets at two o' clock in the morning, no military sites around. And I read the news the next morning and there's nothing. And again, that's why it is. And it's so. It's so difficult to see this stuff with your own eyes every single day in a civilized, democratic country like Ukraine. Open the newspaper the next day and see nothing about it. But this is. This is what we're dealing with.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, I think some of it's more equivalence and some of it's just boredom moving on to the next story, getting distracted by Trump, and, and it's horrible because we need to have a focus on it. And the more focus on it, I do think the more pressure there will be for Europe to do the right thing. I don't have a lot of hope that America is going to continue to do the right thing, unfortunately. But there needs to be more aid. There needs to be more military aid and assistance. We have seen in the Middle east that we can prevent some of these atrocities if we actually try. And so, anyway, I'll be encouraging folks to do it here. Any other final observations or thoughts on that?

[Kaylin Robertson]

No, no, you're right about it. And it's this idea that Putin put out at the beginning that any help to Ukraine is escalation. Well, you know, Trump is pretty happy to do whatever he wants in the Middle east, and apparently that's not escalation, but giving some old tanks to Ukraine is. And following that rhetoric and following those lies is why we're in this situation. But I'm just really glad that you covered this because you're probably the biggest network today to cover this train disaster, which is horrific. So thank you for doing that. But that's the situation here.

[Tim Miller]

Thank you for being there, man. You got to stay safe for us. Appreciate your reports. And let's just stay in touch. All right?

[Kaylin Robertson]

Cool. Thank you.

[Tim Miller]

All right, that's Kaylin Robertson. Go check out his feeds and subscribe to them. We'll be back here soon.