Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking bus carrying schoolchildren, Kyiv denies it
Details and Reactions to the Alleged Drone Strike
Incident Overview
MOSCOW, June 17 (Reuters) - Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a deadly drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren on Wednesday, an allegation that Ukraine's military said was "false".
Yegor Kovalchuk, the acting governor of Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, said the bus had been taking a children's soccer team for a holiday in southern Russia from Belarus.
Statements from Russian Officials
Kovalchuk, writing on Telegram, said he had visited those injured in the incident which he described as a "completely deliberate strike on civilian transport on a busy highway".
Russia's Foreign Ministry, which called the attack "another monstrous crime," said a woman accompanying the children had been killed and that eight others, including six children, had been injured.
Ukraine's Response
The Ukrainian military's General Staff denied the Russian allegation, saying on Telegram that "during the specified period, the Defence Forces of Ukraine did not employ unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in Bryansk Oblast."
Reuters was unable to verify the report. Both sides deny targeting civilians.
Aftermath and International Reactions
Belarusian Response
Belarusian Health Minister Alexander Khodzhayev, quoted by the state news agency Belta, said two people, an adult and a child, were in serious condition.
He said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had issued orders to airlift all injured Belarusian nationals back to Belarus.
Belarus's Foreign Ministry said it had demanded "complete explanations" of the incident from Ukraine.
Investigation and Evidence
Kovalchuk, the acting governor, posted images online showing a silver bus with some of its windows blown out, its front right tyre damaged and what looked like blood stains on some of its interior seats.
Russian investigators opened a terrorism investigation and said the bus, which was travelling from Gomel in Belarus to Gelendzhik in Russia, had been carrying 44 passengers, including 28 children.
Previous Related Incidents
Russia accused Ukraine this month of another drone attack on a bus which it said killed eight civilians and wounded 11 more in a Russian-controlled part of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
Context of the Ongoing Conflict
Recent Attacks and Escalation
Russia has regularly hit Ukrainian towns and cities such as Kyiv since it began its war in Ukraine in February 2022. Kyiv has increased drone strikes on Russia in recent months to try to weaken Moscow's economy and force an end to a war in which thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Kyiv Buro, Editing by Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski and Sanjeev Miglani)
