Russia says Ukraine hit school bus, Kyiv denies

June 18, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

Russia said a drone strike hit a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren in Bryansk, while Ukraine's military denied the claim.

Why this matters

The report underscored the risk to civilians as cross-border attacks continued in Russia's war with Ukraine. It also drew Belarus, a close Russian ally, more directly into a disputed incident involving Ukrainian territory.

Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone strike on a bus carrying Belarusian schoolchildren in Russia’s Bryansk region on Wednesday, killing an accompanying adult and injuring eight others, including six children. Ukraine’s military called the allegation “false.”

Yegor Kovalchuk, acting governor of the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, said the bus was taking a children’s soccer team from Belarus to southern Russia for a holiday. In a Telegram post, he said he visited those injured and described the incident as a “completely deliberate strike on civilian transport on a busy highway.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the attack “another monstrous crime.” The ministry said a woman traveling with the children was killed and eight others were injured.

The Ukrainian military’s General Staff denied the claim, saying on Telegram that “during the specified period, the Defence Forces of Ukraine did not employ unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in Bryansk Oblast.”

Belarusian Health Minister Alexander Khodzhayev, cited by state news agency Belta, said two people, an adult and a child, were in serious condition. He said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered all injured Belarusian nationals to be airlifted back to Belarus.

Belarus’s Foreign Ministry said it had demanded “complete explanations” from Ukraine.

Kovalchuk posted images online showing a silver bus with some windows blown out, a damaged front right tire, and what appeared to be blood stains on some interior seats.

Russian investigators opened a terrorism investigation and said the bus was traveling from Gomel, Belarus, to Gelendzhik, Russia, carrying 44 passengers, including 28 children.

Russia earlier this month accused Ukraine of another drone attack on a bus in a Russian-controlled part of the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, saying it killed eight civilians and wounded 11 others.

Russia has regularly struck Ukrainian towns and cities, including Kyiv, since launching its war in Ukraine in February 2022.

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