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Aliaksandr Lukashenka has proposed placing organized trips abroad by children’s groups under state control. He made the remarks while commenting on yesterday’s drone strike on a Belarusian bus carrying young football players from Rechytsa to the Russian resort city of Gelendzhik. According to Lukashenka, Belarus has sufficient facilities for sports activities.
“I would like to draw attention to the very fact itself. The parents do not deny it — they organized this trip, whether for recreation or to train people and play football in Gelendzhik or somewhere else?” he said.
“In Gelendzhik,” State Security Council Secretary Aliaksandr Valfovich interjected.
“Listen, don’t we have enough land to play football? Do we not have enough fields for children and adult teams to train and play football properly? We do!” Lukashenka continued.
He said he wanted Belarusians to refrain from such trips and suggested that travel by children’s groups should be subject to official oversight.
“Therefore, I do not want to condemn anyone here, but I would like to ask our people, and especially parents, when children are involved: it is better to stay at home for this period. Football and other activities should take place here. It is more comfortable here, in a calm and peaceful country.
And all such trips should be prohibited without state supervision and permission.
The parents made the decision and turned to private companies. I do not want to criticize the private company either. They acted legally. Individual entrepreneurs or whoever they were rented a bus, paid for it and set off. And now some people are making complaints. There is no need to complain to us. Adults, and above all parents, need to approach such matters more carefully,” he concluded.
The bus carrying Belarusian children travelling to the Russian resort city of Gelendzhik was attacked, reportedly by a drone, in Russia’s Bryansk region on June 17. One woman accompanying the group was killed, while eight people, including six children, were injured. Moscow says the bus was attacked by a Ukrainian drone. Kyiv rejects the accusation and describes the incident as an information provocation.