The Ukrainian General Staff has refuted claims made by Russian authorities regarding a drone strike on a bus transporting a youth football team in the Bryansk region. On June 17, the military leadership stated that Ukrainian forces did not deploy drones in that area during the alleged incident.
Ukrainian officials characterized the accusations as a Kremlin-led information provocation. They suggested that, faced with significant battlefield losses, Russia has increasingly resorted to misinformation and fabricated allegations against Ukraine.
The General Staff emphasized that Ukrainian Armed Forces target only legitimate military objectives and do not engage in operations against civilians. They pointed out that Russia frequently violates international humanitarian law by attacking Ukrainian cities, resulting in civilian casualties.
According to a statement from the acting governor of Bryansk, Yegor Kovalchuk, a Ukrainian drone supposedly attacked the bus carrying the team from Gomel, Belarus, which was en route to a vacation in Gelendzhik. Kovalchuk reported that a Belarusian citizen accompanying the team was killed, and six others, including four children, were injured and hospitalized.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Health confirmed that seven individuals were injured, with one child in critical condition. The Russian Investigative Committee announced that a criminal case for terrorism has been opened regarding the incident, which reportedly occurred on the A-240 highway in Bryansk.
The Belarusian state agency BelTA reported that the Russian side informed the Belarusian Foreign Ministry about the incident. Subsequently, the Belarusian Ministry expressed that it views the attack as a terrorist act against civilians and demands comprehensive explanations from Kyiv. They also stressed the necessity of preventing citizens from traveling to conflict zones and related areas.
As of now, there has been no independent verification of the claims regarding a Ukrainian drone strike on the bus.
The Ukrainian military has denied accusations from Russia about a drone strike on a bus with a youth football team, labeling the claims as misinformation. The incident, which reportedly resulted in casualties, has prompted responses from both Russian and Belarusian authorities, but independent verification remains lacking.