Russian investigators link senior Ukrainian officials to deadly bus attack

Russia’s Investigative Committee has identified a number of individuals allegedly implicated in the drone strike on a passenger bus carrying a Belarusian children's football team in the Bryansk region.

Svetlana Petrenko, the committee’s official spokesperson, said the investigation had identified Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, and Oleh Ivashchenko, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, as among those allegedly responsible for ordering the attack, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

According to Russian investigators, the two officials issued what authorities described as an unlawful order to strike civilian transport on Russian territory.

Petrenko said investigators had also identified three servicemen alleged to have directly carried out the attack: Ihor Zhukov of the “Shkval” rapid-response border commandant unit of Ukraine’s 7th Border Detachment, Dmytro Tkachenko of the “Khimera” unmanned systems unit within the 105th Border Detachment, and Vladyslav Naum of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Centre of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russian authorities have formally charged all five individuals under Part 3 of Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers terrorist acts resulting in fatalities.

Petrenko said procedures have been launched to place the suspects on international wanted lists and to seek their arrest in absentia.

The Investigative Committee added that efforts are continuing to identify other individuals who may have been involved in the incident, and that the criminal investigation remains ongoing.

According to Russian authorities, the attack took place on June 17 as the bus was traveling from the Belarusian city of Gomel to the Russian resort city of Gelendzhik. The vehicle, carrying a children's football team, was allegedly struck by a drone.

One passenger was killed in the attack, while eight others were injured, including six children, Russian officials said.

By Vafa Guliyeva