Kiev deliberately targeted bus with Belarusian children — Kremlin

Lead

A bus carrying a children's football team from Gomel was struck by a drone in Russia's Bryansk Region on Wednesday, killing a woman accompanying the team and injuring several children, according to reports from the Russian state news agency TASS. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the attack was deliberate and that Russia's response would be the continuation of its special military operation.

Coverage Comparison

All reporting on the incident comes from TASS, which provided multiple accounts citing different officials and institutions. The reports converge on the core details — the use of a fixed-wing drone, the death of a woman accompanying the young athletes, and the hospitalization of injured children — but differ on the exact number of casualties and injuries.

Acting Governor Yegor Kovalchuk of the Bryansk Region was quoted as saying the Ukrainian armed forces used a fixed-wing drone to attack the bus. A later report from the Belarusian Football Federation (BFF) press office said seven people, including five children, had been hospitalized, while another report, citing the Belarusian Health Ministry, said eight people were hospitalized, including six children.

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, in a comment to RT, said the attack was deliberate, asserting that drone operators always have a clear view of their target. He described the bus as a civilian vehicle carrying children and called the incident a crime by the Kiev regime. Peskov also said that Russia's response would be to continue its special military operation to protect the country and its population from such terrorist acts.

Key Claims

The following points are based on the information provided by TASS and attributed to the officials and institutions cited:

• Attack details: Acting Governor Yegor Kovalchuk said the Ukrainian armed forces used a fixed-wing drone to attack the bus, which was traveling to Gelendzhik for a vacation.
• Casualties: A woman accompanying the team was killed. Reports vary on the number of injured: one report says six people, including four children, were injured; another says seven people, including five children, were hospitalized; a third, citing the Belarusian Health Ministry, says eight people were hospitalized, including six children.
• Criminal case: The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case on terrorism.
• Institutional response: The Belarusian Football Federation informed the presidents of UEFA and FIFA about the incident and initiated a review at the level of the relevant authorities, while expressing condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured.
• Kremlin statement: Dmitry Peskov said the attack was deliberate and that drone operators always have a clear view of their target. He also stated that Russia's response would be the continuation of the special military operation.

Perspectives

Kremlin: Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin Press Secretary and Spokesman, characterized the attack as a deliberate crime by the Kiev regime, emphasizing that the bus was a civilian vehicle carrying children. He stated that Russia's response would be the continuation of its special military operation.

Belarusian Football Federation: The BFF expressed condolences and said it had informed the leadership of UEFA and FIFA, while monitoring further developments.