Lead
Russia's Investigative Committee has identified the perpetrators of a drone attack on a bus carrying children from Belarus in the Bryansk Region and has placed them on the international wanted list, according to statements from the committee published by TASS.
The announcement came from Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin, who said in an interview with Channel One: "We are investigating the case. The perpetrators have already been identified. They have been placed on the international wanted list and will be arrested in absentia soon."
The attack, which occurred on June 17, targeted a passenger bus traveling from Gomel, Belarus, to Gelendzhik, Russia. According to the Investigative Committee, one passenger was killed — a female chaperone who was pregnant — and eight others were injured, including six children.
Coverage Comparison
Both accounts from TASS report the same core facts: the identification of suspects, the charges brought against them, and the details of the attack itself. The first report centers on Chairman Bastrykin's statement that the perpetrators had been identified and placed on the international wanted list. The second report focuses on the Investigative Committee's official representative, Svetlana Petrenko, detailing the specific charges and the roles of the individuals named.
The two reports are consistent in their attribution of the attack to Ukrainian officials and military personnel, though the specifics of their alleged involvement are described in somewhat different terms. The first report describes the suspects as "key actors" who "provided target guidance and issued an illegal order to attack civilian vehicles." The second report similarly states that they "provided targeting and issued the illegal order." Both reports note that the individuals have been charged under Part 3 of Article 205 of Russia's Criminal Code.
The reports also agree on the number of casualties and injuries, with the second report adding the detail that the deceased chaperone was pregnant. Both mention the ongoing investigation, with one noting that other accomplices are still being identified and that the investigation is being conducted in cooperation with Belarus' Investigative Committee.
Key Claims
- The Investigative Committee has identified the perpetrators of the attack on a bus carrying children from Belarus in the Bryansk Region, and placed them on the international wanted list, said Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin.
- Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, and Oleg Ivashchenko, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, were identified as key actors who allegedly provided targeting and issued an illegal order to attack civilian vehicles on Russian territory.
- Dmitry Tkachenko, a soldier of the Chimera unmanned systems unit of the 105th Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine; Igor Zhukov, a soldier of the Shkval Border Commandant's Office of the 7th Border Detachment of the SBGS; and Vladislav Naum, a soldier of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center, were identified as direct perpetrators.
- All five individuals — Brovdi, Ivashchenko, Tkachenko, Zhukov, and Naum — have been charged under Part 3 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (committing a terrorist act that resulted in the death of people).
- On June 17, the bus was hit by a drone strike on the Gomel-Gelendzhik route. One passenger, a female chaperone who was pregnant, was killed, and eight people were injured, including six children.