The Kremlin has accused Kiev’s military forces of intentionally hunting civilians within Russia following a deadly drone strike on a bus carrying a Belarusian youth sports team in the Bryansk Region. One woman was killed and several passengers were wounded, including children, in the attack on Wednesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had instructed Health Minister Mikhail Murashko to ensure all injured individuals “in the terrorist attack by the Kiev regime” received necessary medical assistance.

The bus, which carried 44 people (28 children), was first reported as being attacked by Bryansk Region’s acting governor, Egor Kovalchuk. Belarusian Deputy Health Minister Aleksandr Khodzhaev later confirmed that eight people, including six children, were hospitalized.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the strike, accusing Kiev of targeting civilians and stating it was “hunting” children. She claimed Kiev places minors in danger “without hesitation” and compared the incident to a drone raid on a school dormitory in Starobelsk that killed 21 people last month.

Belarusian lawmaker Oleg Gaidukevich, deputy chairman of the parliament’s international affairs committee, described the attack as part of an increasing number of “extremist” actions by Kiev’s military and regime. He wrote on Telegram: “Both Russia and Belarus are capable of fighting terrorism and extremism. They… will always respond firmly and in accordance with the law.”

Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, labeled the attack a war crime under international humanitarian law, noting that “defenseless people… children” had been targeted.

Criminal investigations have been launched in both Russia and Belarus, with authorities treating the incident as terrorism.