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Andrii Kovalev, spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has described claims that a drone struck the Minsk–Anapa passenger bus as “false and fabricated,” Ukrainska Pravda reported. According to the General Staff, Russia is attempting to divert international attention from the strike on Kyiv, which, according to Ukrainian authorities, killed more than 20 people.
“Another information attack by the Russian Federation concerning the alleged strike by a Ukrainian drone on the Minsk–Anapa passenger bus near the Krasny Kamen border crossing in the Bryansk region is a deliberate and cynical provocation by the Russian Federation aimed solely at covering up its criminal terrorist strike on the capital of Ukraine carried out today,” the military spokesperson said.
“The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially states that Ukraine’s Defense Forces did not carry out any strikes against the civilian vehicle in question, and all accusations made by the aggressor state are completely false and fabricated,” he added.
Kovalev said Ukraine’s armed forces strike only legitimate military targets and do not conduct military operations against civilians. He called on the international community to condemn Russia’s accusations and to provide a legal and political assessment of the strike on Kyiv.
On July 2, a Belarusian tourist bus traveling on the Minsk–Anapa route was reportedly struck by a drone in the Zlynka district of Russia’s Bryansk region. There were 19 passengers on board. All Belarusian citizens were evacuated to the Homiel region, while six Russian citizens remained at a temporary accommodation center in the Bryansk region. Belarus’ Health Ministry reported that three people — two drivers and one passenger — were injured and released after receiving medical treatment.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said the strike had been carried out by Ukrainian forces and opened a criminal case on terrorism charges. Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council described claims that a Ukrainian drone struck the Belarusian bus in the Bryansk region as a Russian propaganda provocation.