Russian officials say a drone struck a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren in Bryansk region, killing a woman and injuring eight others, including six children. Ukraine's General Staff denied using UAVs in the area and called the allegation false. Belarus has demanded explanations and ordered injured nationals airlifted home. Russian investigators opened a terrorism probe; the bus reportedly carried 44 people, 28 of them children. Independent verification of the claim was not available.
Russia Alleges Drone Strike On Bus Carrying Belarusian Schoolchildren; Kyiv Denies Involvement
A view of a bus which, according to local authorities, was attacked by a Ukrainian drone whilst carrying children from a Belarusian youth football team, in the Bryansk Region, Russia June 17, 2026. Acting Governor of the Bryansk region Yegor Kovalchuk/Handout via REUTERS
Russian officials on June 17 accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike on a bus transporting Belarusian schoolchildren in the Bryansk region, near the border with Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the incident "another monstrous crime," saying a woman travelling with the children was killed and eight others — including six children — were injured.
Yegor Kovalchuk, the acting governor of Bryansk, said the coach was ferrying a children's soccer team on holiday from Gomel, Belarus, to Gelendzhik, Russia. Writing on Telegram, he said he had visited the wounded and described the event as a "completely deliberate strike on civilian transport on a busy highway." Kovalchuk also posted images showing a silver bus with several windows blown out, a damaged front-right tyre and what appeared to be bloodstains on interior seats.
Ukraine's General Staff denied the allegation on Telegram, stating that "during the specified period, the Defence Forces of Ukraine did not employ unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in Bryansk Oblast." Reuters and other outlets said they were unable to independently verify the claims.
Belarusian authorities said two people — an adult and a child — were in serious condition. Belarusian Health Minister Alexander Khodzhayev, quoted by state news agency Belta, said President Alexander Lukashenko ordered that all injured Belarusian nationals be airlifted back to Belarus. Belarus's Foreign Ministry said it had demanded "complete explanations" from Ukraine.
Investigation and Context
Russian investigators opened a terrorism probe and reported the bus was carrying 44 passengers, 28 of them children. Earlier this month, Russia accused Ukraine of a separate drone strike on a bus in a Russian-controlled area of Donetsk that it said killed eight civilians and wounded 11.
The incident comes amid a wider pattern of strikes and counterstrikes since Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Moscow has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian towns and cities, while Kyiv has increased drone operations inside Russia in recent months, saying it aims to weaken Moscow's war economy and hasten an end to the conflict. Both sides have frequently denied deliberately targeting civilians.
Note: Independent verification of this specific incident was not available at the time of reporting. Claims and casualty figures are those reported by Russian and Belarusian officials; Ukraine has denied involvement.
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