Volnovakha bus attack
Volnovakha bus attack | |
---|---|
Part of the UTC+2) | |
Target | Buhas checkpoint |
Attack type | Rocket strike |
Weapons | MRL BM-21 Grad |
Deaths | 12[2] |
Injured | 18[2] |
Perpetrators | Donetsk People's Republic (per Ukraine) Ukrainian Armed Forces (per Russia) |
Motive | attack on fortified facilities |
The Volnovakha bus attack was an attack on a highway
Initially,
The checkpoint named "Buhas" is located on the H20 highway at the intersection with another road accessing the city of Volnovakha. Beside Buhas and Volnovakha, there also is a village of Blyzhnie.
Attack
On 13 January, a bus was carrying civilians moving northward to Donetsk from the village of Zlatoustivka (Zlatoustovka) and passing a small city of Volnovakha[10] on the Donetsk-Mariupol road (H20 highway). Approaching the zone controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic, the bus stopped at the checkpoint for passport control. Soon thereafter the checkpoint was fired upon, with multiple rockets landing next to the line of vehicles, including the bus. Shrapnel from a round tore through and completely disabled the bus, while killing and injuring several passengers. Ten people perished on site, while two more died soon after being brought to the hospital in Volnovakha.[2]
The
According to the head of the main command center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Bohdan Bondar, the attack was launched from the center of Dokuchaievsk (city surrounded by the Volnovakha Raion), which is less than 35 kilometres (22 mi) away, as a provocation. When the attack happened, "there were reporters of local and Russian TV channels… who came there to film how our troops would return fire on the center of the city". The Ukrainian military labelled the incident a "provocation." Despite this, Ukrainian forces did not return fire.[13]
The
An OSCE report confirmed that a
Legal
On 17 January 2017 Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed a suit with the International Court of Justice, accusing the Russian Federation of "acts of terrorism, discrimination, and unlawful aggression" against Ukraine. The attack on Volnovakha was cited by Ukraine as an example of Russia supporting illegal armed groups engaged in terrorist activities.[19]
Reactions
Russia – Russian Foreign Ministry's envoy for human rights, democracy and the supremacy of law Konstantin Dolgov said that shelling of a passenger bus in eastern Ukraine undermines efforts to reach a peace settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. "Kyiv continues to blatantly violate human rights", he underlined. Moscow "demands an impartial investigation of this crime... and punishment of those responsible".[36] The Russian officials offered their condolences to the families and friends of the victims.[37]
See also
- Casualties of the Ukrainian crisis
- January 2015 Mariupol rocket attack
- List of equipment used by separatist forces of the war in Donbass
- Stepan Chubenko
- Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak, Ukrainian politician murdered by pro-Russian militants
- Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
- Izolyatsia prison
- February 2015 Kramatorsk rocket attack
- Murder of Pentecostals in Sloviansk
- Novosvitlivka refugee convoy attack
- Donetsk "Donetskhirmash" bus station attack
References
- ^ "Ten killed, 13 injured after shell hits bus at roadblock near Volnovakha – regional administration". Interfax-Ukraine. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ^ a b c Список погибших и раненых, пострадавших в результате террористического акта на пункте пропуска под г.Волновахой [List of dead and wounded victims as a result of the terrorist attack on the checkpoint in Volnovakha] (Press release) (in Russian). Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Donetsk Region. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
- ^ Прокуратура расследует обстрел автобуса под Волновахой по статье "теракт" [The Office of Public Prosecutor is investigating the Volnovakha bus attack as an "act of terror"] (in Russian). Unian. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ "В ДНР возбудили уголовное дело по факту обстрела автобуса под Волновахой" [Criminal investigation opened in the Donetsk Region into the attack on the bus in Volnovakha] (in Russian). Interfax. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ "Did Separatists Boast of Attack on Checkpoint That Killed 10 Civilians Before Trying To Blame Ukraine?". The Interpreter Magazine. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time)". OSCE. 17 January 2015. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "Ukraine: Rising Civilian Death Toll | Human Rights Watch". 3 February 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ Full size video (Russian non-normative lexicon). YouTube
- ^ Same video zoomed and slowed. YouTube.
- ^ "Ukraine conflict: Shell hits bus 'killing 10' in Buhas". BBC. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Прокуратура: Бойовики випустили по блокпосту під Волновахою 40 снарядів (in Ukrainian)". Українська Правда. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Eleven Ukraine civilians killed when rocket hits bus". Yahoo News. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Ukrainian military label shelling of passenger bus near Volnovakha as provocation". Interfax-Ukraine. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Denis Pushilin: Shelled bus is a provocation of the Ukrainian side". NewsFront. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Terrorists boast shelling of Hranitne which killed two-year-old girl". Censor.Net. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ^ "Two year old girl perished in Hranitne village due to militants' shelling. Two people from the shelled bus died in hospital – Head of Donetsk police". Censor.Net. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ^ "Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, 14 January 2015: 12 civilians killed and 17 wounded when a rocket exploded close to a civilian bus near Volnovakha" (Press release). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "OSCE confirms Grad strike on east Ukraine bus and says insurgents will be included in investigation". Ukraine Today. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Ukraine files suit against Russia in Hague court for 'aggression'". UPI.
- ^ "Address of the President of Ukraine". Press office of President. 13 January 2015.
- ^ Sam Sokol (15 January 2015). "Ukraine jumps on 'Je suis Charlie' bandwagon". Jerusalem Post.
- ^ "В Украине день траура по погибшим под Волновахой". BBC in Ukrainian. 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Statement of the MFA". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Arseniy Yatsenyuk: The so-called DPR and LPR must be recognized by the entire international community as terrorist organizations". Department of Information and Communication of the Secretariat of the CMU. 14 January 2015.
- ^ "Stop terrorism!". Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Philaret. Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "APPEAL To the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of The Council of Europe, National Parliaments of the EU Member States, The USA, Canada, Japan and Australia on the Mass Shooting of People Near the Town of Volnovakha in Ukraine". The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 14 January 2015.
- ^ "January 15 is the Day of Mourning for the people murdered by terrorists". Press office of President. 14 January 2015.
- ^ Minute of Silence for Volnovakha Victims: Ukrainian MPs mourn 13 killed in insurgent bus attack. Ukraine Today (YouTube). 14 January 2015
- ^ Peter Leonard (18 January 2015). "Ukraine leader vows to retake separatist-held east". Associated Press. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ "Порошенко на акції у Києві заявив про єдність українців". BBC in Ukrainian. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ Dan Peleschuk (19 January 2015). "#JeSuis … Volnovakha?". GlobalPost. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- EuroNews. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- Fakty i Kommentarii. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ "Statement by the Spokesperson on the death of civilians in eastern Ukraine". European External Action Service. 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Ukraine: MEPs condemn terrorist acts and say sanctions against Russia must stay". European Parliament / News. 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Moscow resents shelling of passenger bus in Donbass – Russian diplomat". Russian News Agency "TASS". 14 January 2015.
- ^ Comment by the Information and Press Department on the bus tragedy in Ukraine. Russian embassy in Washington, DC.
- ^ "Statement of Foreign Ministry in connection with tragic death of civilians as a result of bus blast at checkpoint near Volnovakha". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. 15 January 2015.
External links
- Ukraine War ~ One more video from Volnovakha bus attack. Press TV News at YouTube.
- Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 16 January 2015. website. Kyiv 17 January 2015.