At least nine people have lost their lives after an attack by the Ukrainian Army against a bus in which 15 occupants were traveling in the province of Lugansk, territory under partial occupation by Russia for four years.
The leader of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Lugansk (RPL), Leonid Pasechnik, has pointed out on his social media that eight of the deceased died on the spot due to the "terrible" attack, while the ninth victim, a 20-year-old young woman, has died later in the hospital. "The doctors fought for her life, but they could not save her," he has stated.
As a consequence of the attack, five passengers have been injured, one of them transferred to a hospital, in addition to the driver, who has received medical attention at the scene of the incident, on the road connecting the towns of Zoloté and Pervomaisk.
Pasechnik has blamed the "bloodthirsty regime of Kiev" for what happened, describing it as "another act of terrorism, cynical, inhuman, and indefensible." "This is a war crime, for which those responsible will undoubtedly be punished," he has denounced, also expressing his condolences to the victims.