General Staff has denied allegations that it struck bus carrying Belarusian children in Bryansk region
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has officially refuted the false claims made by representatives of the Russian Federation and Belarus regarding the alleged striking of a coach carrying a Belarusian children’s football team in the Bryansk region by a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone, stating that these claims are untrue. During the period in question, the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not deploy UAVs against targets in the Bryansk Oblast.
This was stated by the military command, according to Censor.NET.
Ukraine’s military and political leadership responded swiftly to attempts by Moscow and Minsk to blame the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Official denial: UAVs were not used
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that no operations involving attack UAVs were being carried out in the airspace of the Bryansk region at that time.
"Statements by representatives of the Russian Federation alleging that a bus carrying a children’s football team in the Bryansk region was struck by a drone belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine are untrue. We emphasise that during the period in question, the Ukrainian Defence Forces did not use unmanned aerial vehicles to strike targets in the Bryansk region. We regard such reports as yet another information provocation by the Kremlin", the command emphasised.
The Ukrainian military explain that, due to its inability to achieve any strategic gains on the front line and the enormous losses in manpower, the Russian regime is attempting to divert the attention of its own population by fabricating accusations against Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s hypocritical double standards
The General Staff’s statement specifically highlights the utter cynicism of the occupiers, who are attempting to portray themselves as ‘victims’ whilst simultaneously wiping Ukrainian settlements off the face of the earth.
"Unable to achieve its stated objectives on the battlefield and suffering significant losses, the Russian Federation is increasingly resorting to information manipulation and fabricating accusations against Ukraine. At the same time, it is Russia that is systematically violating the norms of international humanitarian law by striking Ukrainian cities, residential areas, hospitals, schools and other civilian targets. As a result of the latest missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, particularly on Kyiv, dozens of civilians, including children, have been killed," the Ukrainian Armed Forces reiterated.
The General Staff has reaffirmed its unwavering stance: the Armed Forces of Ukraine strike only legitimate military targets and do not engage in combat operations against the civilian population.
What led up to it?
- As a reminder, on 17 June, Russian and Belarusian media outlets had previously reported on an alleged attack by a Ukrainian drone on a civilian coach in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation. According to their reports, the coach was carrying a children’s football team from Gomel, which was travelling to a training camp in Gelendzhik.
- The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs played into the hands of Russian propaganda by immediately accusing Ukraine of a "terrorist attack". Minsk demanded an explanation from Kyiv.
