Belarus hands note of protest to Ukraine over reported drone strike that killed Belarusian citizen

Belarus' Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it summoned Ukraine's acting charge d'affaires, Ivan Novitsky, and lodged a formal protest over a reported drone attack on a bus carrying Belarusian citizens in Russia's Bryansk region.

The ministry said in a statement that the Ukrainian diplomat was handed a note of protest following the incident, which Belarus described as a terrorist attack.

"The Republic of Belarus strongly condemns this inhumane terrorist act, for which there can be no justification," the statement said.

Belarusian officials informed the Ukrainian side about the death of a Belarusian citizen and injuries sustained by six others, including five children, according to the ministry.

Some of the injured suffered serious wounds, the statement said.

According to Russian and Belarusian officials, the bus was carrying members of a youth football team from Belarus' Gomel region and was traveling through Russia's Bryansk region when the incident occurred.

The diplomatic protest followed an earlier statement by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry condemning the attack and calling on Ukraine to provide a full explanation regarding the reported strike.