On June 17, a drone struck a passenger bus in Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine. There were 44 people on board, including 28 students at a sports school in the Belarusian city of Rechitsa, who were traveling to the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik for vacation. A woman accompanying the team was killed and six more people were injured, including four minors. Russian officials blamed the attack on “Ukrainian terrorists,” while Ukrainian intelligence services called it a “provocation” by Moscow. The Belarusian government and opposition reached diametrically opposite conclusions about the incident, but agreed on one thing: Don’t go to Russia. Here’s a brief rundown of each side’s position.
Russia: Ukrainian terrorists attacked a bus carrying a youth soccer team from Belarus. One person was killed, six were injured. A criminal case has been opened on charges of terrorism. Even before the investigation concludes, it is clear this was a deliberate attack. The Kyiv regime, contrary to its hypocritical statements, is deliberately targeting children — as it already did in Starobilsk.
Ukraine: At the time of the attack on the bus, Ukraine’s armed forces were not using drones against targets in the Bryansk region. The attack itself is a Russian provocation, confirmed by a Russian document intercepted by the SBU. The Russians fabricated this terrorist act to turn Belarusians against Ukrainians. It is a tool of IPSO [psychological warfare]. We strictly adhere to the laws and customs of war.
Belarus (Tsikhanouskaya): Russia started this war and bears primary responsibility for every death and every injury. Also to blame are Belarusian officials who failed to prevent children from traveling through an active war zone, and Belarusian propagandists who project an image of peace during a war while concealing Lukashenko’s complicity in it. Don’t go to Russia.
Belarus (Lukashenko): It was the parents who decided to send their children to Gelendzhik. Don’t we have enough space to play soccer here? Folks ought to stay home for the time being. No more trips without government approval. We’re not rushing to draw conclusions about the strike, but the drone was Ukrainian. We’re hearing different versions, but we’ll uncover the truth. The Russians will help us.
