Belarus has summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires and issued a formal note of protest over a reported drone attack on a civilian bus in Russia’s Bryansk region that left one person dead and several others injured, according to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ruslan Varankov said the Ukrainian diplomat, Ivan Novitsky, was called in on Wednesday and handed the protest note in connection with the June 17 incident, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
“Today, the temporary chargé d’affaires of Ukraine in the Republic of Belarus, Ivan Novitsky, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus,” Varankov said, according to STV. He added that Belarus condemned what it described as a “inhumane terrorist act”.
Minsk said it had demanded “exhaustive explanations” from Kyiv, calling for an immediate and objective investigation and for those responsible to be held to account.
According to Russian authorities, a drone struck a double-decker bus travelling on the A240 highway in Bryansk region. The vehicle reportedly belonged to Youth Sports School No. 2 in the city of Rechitsa and was carrying a youth football team from Gomel heading to a holiday destination in Gelendzhik.
Officials said there were 44 passengers on board, including 28 child athletes.
One woman accompanying the group was killed in the attack, according to the latest reports. Seven people were hospitalised, including five children. One child is in a serious condition, while the others are reported to be in moderate condition.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
