Belarus has called on the international community to unequivocally condemn the attack on a Belarusian bus carrying children. Belarus’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations Valentin Rybakov made the statement at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, convened following the drone attack on a bus carrying Belarusian citizens in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast, BelTA has learned.
“The Republic of Belarus strongly condemns this inhumane terrorist act, for which there is and can be no justification, and calls on the international community to condemn it unequivocally. We call on the UN Security Council to provide a comprehensive and thorough assessment of this crime,” Valentin Rybakov said.
He noted that the Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal case in connection with the attack. The assault on the bus carrying children has been classified as an act of terrorism.The Investigative Committee of Belarus is conducting an investigation to establish and thoroughly examine all the circumstances and details of the incident.
“Ukraine immediately denied any involvement in the attack on the bus. Today, we have evidence that allows us to state responsibly that the attack on the Belarusian bus was carried out by a Ukrainian-made strike unmanned aerial vehicle. The UAV was of the Darts type and equipped with fragmentation elements. It carried a warhead with an explosive yield equivalent to about 1,200 grams of TNT. These drones were developed by the Ukrainian engineering group Steel Hornets and use FPV control technology,” Valentin Rybakov said.
According to him, investigators recovered items bearing Ukrainian-language markings during an inspection of the attack site. Among them was a detonator control unit manufactured at a plant in the city of Shostka, Sumy Oblast. The detonator itself and the battery pack were also identified as Ukrainian-made components.
He noted that drones of this type are manufactured at various facilities in Ukraine, including small-scale workshops, with an estimated production cost of about $1,000. According to Valentin Rybakov, the system is primarily operated by units of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the Security Service of Ukraine, and various branches of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Those who carried out the strike on the Belarusian bus acted deliberately and provocatively. Their actions were consciously aimed at escalating the conflict and drawing Belarus into the armed confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. This was an attempt to create a pretext for pitting Belarus against Ukraine and dragging our country into the war. The price of these actions has, unfortunately, been the lives and health of Belarusian citizens,” Valentin Rybakov stressed.
He also quoted Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who said: “If anyone provokes Belarus and tries to drag it into the war, it will end badly for those who attempt to do so.”
According to him, investigators recovered items bearing Ukrainian-language markings during an inspection of the attack site. Among them was a detonator control unit manufactured at a plant in the city of Shostka, Sumy Oblast. The detonator itself and the battery pack were also identified as Ukrainian-made components.
He noted that drones of this type are manufactured at various facilities in Ukraine, including small-scale workshops, with an estimated production cost of about $1,000. According to Valentin Rybakov, the system is primarily operated by units of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the Security Service of Ukraine, and various branches of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Those who carried out the strike on the Belarusian bus acted deliberately and provocatively. Their actions were consciously aimed at escalating the conflict and drawing Belarus into the armed confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. This was an attempt to create a pretext for pitting Belarus against Ukraine and dragging our country into the war. The price of these actions has, unfortunately, been the lives and health of Belarusian citizens,” Valentin Rybakov stressed.
He also quoted Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who said: “If anyone provokes Belarus and tries to drag it into the war, it will end badly for those who attempt to do so.”