Russian investigators probe drone attack on bus transporting children
Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation after a drone strike allegedly carried out by Ukrainian forces hit a passenger bus transporting a children's football team in the Bryansk region, killing one person and injuring six others.
In a statement on Tuesday, Russian Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said the agency had launched a case under terrorism-related charges following the attack on the A240 highway.
According to the committee, a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle struck a bus belonging to Rechitsa Youth Sports School No. 2 while it was travelling from Belarus on the Gomel–Gelendzhik route.
The bus was carrying 44 passengers, including 28 young athletes heading to a holiday destination.
“Early reports suggest that one woman was killed. Six people were injured. They have been taken to hospital,” Petrenko said, adding that the number of casualties was still being verified.
The Investigative Committee said experienced investigators, forensic experts and other specialists had been assigned to the case.
“The investigation will establish the type of unmanned aerial vehicle and explosives used, as well as the individuals from the Ukrainian Armed Forces responsible for another inhumane crime against civilian children,” Petrenko stated.
The committee described the incident as a terrorist act and said it would seek to identify those responsible.
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