Deputy Chairman of the Homiel Regional Executive Committee Dzmitry Aleinikau commented on Belarus 1 television about the incident involving a bus carrying a children’s football team from Rechytsa in Russia’s Bryansk region. According to him, the group was organized privately by parents and coaches of Rechytsa District Youth Sports School No. 2 for a trip involving recreation and training.
“A contract was signed with a private carrier registered in the Rechytsa and Kalinkavichy districts to carry out the trip. The transportation involved 88 people traveling on the Rechytsa–Gelendzhik route,” he said.
Aleinikau stated that the carriers had chosen an unsafe route.
“It should be noted that the carriers selected an unsafe route, practically through a frontline area. A corresponding order was issued by the sports school, and the group departed from Rechytsa at 5:30 a.m. It should also be noted that the group included coaches and instructors who were on vacation and traveling with their families. They were responsible for organizing the children’s recreation. The bus carried children both with their parents and under powers of attorney authorizing travel abroad,” he added.
“Belarus has enough sports facilities and opportunities. What need could there be to travel through a dangerous area? Adults need to understand how unsafe and inappropriate this is,” Belarusian state television said.
Earlier reports said that a bus carrying 28 children from the football team of Rechytsa Youth Sports School No. 2 came under a drone strike in Russia’s Bryansk region on June 17. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the drone was Ukrainian. The attack killed the wife of a coach accompanying the team. Eight people, including six children, were injured.
The Ukrainian side rejects the accusations and describes the incident as an information provocation.