The Volnovakha bus attack was an attack on a highway
checkpoint near the village of Buhas outside of the
Volnovakha
Volnovakha ( uk, Волнова́ха, ; russian: Волнова́ха) is a town in Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Volnovakha Raion, one of the 18 districts of the Donetsk Oblast. Before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, ...
municipality in the
Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on 13 January 2015. It resulted in the deaths of 12 passengers of an intercity bus and injuries to 18 others in the area. The attack was the largest single loss of life since the signing of the
Minsk Protocol
The Minsk agreements were a series of international agreements which sought to end the Donbas war fought between armed Russian separatist groups and Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Russian regular forces playing a central part. The first, known ...
in September 2014, which attempted to halt the
War in Donbass
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
. The incident has been labeled an "act of terror" by both the Ukrainian authorities as well as the rebels.
Initially,
separatists took responsibility for this incident, which they thought was a successful destruction of the Ukrainian
roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:
*Roadworks
*Temporary road closure during special events
*Police chase
*Robbery
* Sobriety checkpoint
In peaceful circumstances ...
. After the information about civilian bus hit the news, they denied having "even technical possibilities" to shell that area.
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
Special Monitoring Mission inspecting the place of incident assessed from its study of five craters that they were caused by "rockets fired from a north-north-eastern direction".
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
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loca ...
from the village of Zlatoustivka (Zlatoustovka) and passing a small city of
Volnovakha
Volnovakha ( uk, Волнова́ха, ; russian: Волнова́ха) is a town in Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Volnovakha Raion, one of the 18 districts of the Donetsk Oblast. Before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, ...
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.
The
Ukrainian government
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...
's official version states that pro-Russian militants tried to shell positions near the Buhas checkpoint, which is from the city of
Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loca ...
. Donetsk Prosecutor's Office reported that militants fired more than 40 shells at the highway despite knowing the fact that it had been used only by civilians. An official of the Donetsk Oblast Interior Ministry said, "It was a direct hit on an intercity bus".
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
Dokuchaievsk or Dokuchaevsk (, ; Russian language, Russian: Докучаевск) is a City of regional significance (Ukraine), city of regional significance in the ''de facto'' Donetsk People's Republic; ''de jure'' Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The c ...
(
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
surrounded by the
Volnovakha Raion), which is less than 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.
The
Donetsk People's Republic denied any involvement and said that the attack might have been staged by
Ukrainian Army
The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the land forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They w ...
. Andrei Purgin, a
Donetsk Republic party politician, said that "We don't have the capability to shell this checkpoint either from the side of
Telmanove
Telmanove ( uk, Тельманове; russian: Тельманово) or Boikivske ( uk, Бойкiвське; russian: Бойковское) is an urban-type settlement in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is located in the industrial Donbas region of e ...
or Yelenivka. The Ukrainian side has to figure out what has happened deep in its territory. It's very far from the contact line".
Denis Pushilin
Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin (russian: Дени́с Влади́мирович Пуши́лин, ; uk, Денис Володимирович Пушилін, Denys Volodymyrovych Pushylin; born 9 May 1981) is a Russian and Ukrainian politician ...
, another DPR leader, said that nearest rebel artillery was 50 km away, too far to reach the attack site. At the same time,
NewsFront
''Newsfront'' is a 1978 Australian drama film starring Bill Hunter, Wendy Hughes, Chris Haywood and Bryan Brown, directed by Phillip Noyce. The screenplay is written by David Elfick, Bob Ellis, Philippe Mora, and Phillip Noyce. The original mu ...
published a video of some militant leader boasting about a successful attack on
Hranitne from
Telmanove
Telmanove ( uk, Тельманове; russian: Тельманово) or Boikivske ( uk, Бойкiвське; russian: Бойковское) is an urban-type settlement in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is located in the industrial Donbas region of e ...
. The attack on Hranitne resulted in death of a 2-year-old child.
An OSCE report confirmed that a
Grad rocket
The BM-21 "Grad" (russian: БМ-21 "Град", lit= hail) is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first comb ...
from north-northeast
had struck the bus, and said that
DPR forces, the
Russian Armed Forces, and the
Ukrainian Armed Forces
, imports =
, exports =
, history =
, ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine
, country=Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly know ...
would conduct a joint investigation into the incident.
Ukrainian president
Petro Poroshenko
Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko ( uk, Петро́ Олексі́йович Пороше́нко, ; born 26 September 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Poroshenko se ...
blamed the attack on separatist insurgents, and declared a day of national mourning.
Legal
On 17 January 2017 Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed a suit with the
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
, 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.
Reactions
Ukraine – President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said the attack "chilled the heart", and blamed rebel forces for the attack. He said "These deaths are on the conscience of the
DPR and
LPR gangs and on those who stand behind them". He compared the
Charlie Hebdo shooting
On 7 January 2015, at about 11:30 a.m. CET local time, two French Muslim terrorists and brothers, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, forced their way into the offices of the French satirical weekly newspaper ''Charlie Hebdo'' in Paris. Armed with ...
with events in Volnovakha and called the world to unite in the fight against terrorism. Additionally, he posted on Facebook an image of a bullet-riddled bus above the caption "je suis Volnovakha" while others carried signs in peaceful protest. At the same time
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine ( uk, Міністерство закордонних справ України) is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is th ...
made a statement stressing that the tragedy couldn't have been a coincidence, but was intentionally committed by the terrorist groups supported by
the Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, and called the world to resolutely condemn this terrible terrorist act as well as all their crimes against humanity. Prime Minister of Ukraine
Arseniy Yatsenyuk
Arseniy Petrovych Yatsenyuk ( uk, Арсеній Петрович Яценюк ; born 22 May 1974) is a Ukrainian politician, economist and lawyer who served as Prime Minister of Ukraine twice – from 27 February 2014 to 27 November 2014 and f ...
and the head of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* Som ...
Patriarch Filaret in their statements called the international community to recognise
DPR and
LPR as
terrorist organizations
A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...
. After that
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...
asked for the same. January 15 was declared as
the Day of Mourning for the people murdered by terrorists. State officials paid a tribute to the perished by a minute of silence. On Sunday January 18, hundreds peacefully marched in
Odessa and in Kyiv near
Independence Square carrying ''Je Suis Volnovakha'' and ''Я Волноваха'' placards.
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
–
European External Action Service
The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the diplomatic service and combined foreign and defence ministry of the European Union (EU). The EEAS is led by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), who is al ...
made a statement, in which expressed condolences to the families of those who died. They underlined the need for strict observation of
the ceasefire. "A lasting ceasefire remains key to the success of the current efforts to reach a sustainable political solution, based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity". On January 15
Members of the European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
strongly condemned Russia's "aggressive and expansionist policy" and "the acts of terrorism and criminal behaviour committed by
the separatists and other irregular forces in Eastern Ukraine". They supported the policy of sanctions, which should stay in place until Russia changes its aggressive policy in Ukraine, respects the ceasefire, withdraws its troops, stops supporting separatists, exchanges all prisoners and restores Ukraine's control over its whole territory, including
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
, and called to broaden the range of sanctions in the event of further Russian actions destabilising Ukraine. The European Parliament noted that since
the Council lifted the arms embargo on Ukraine on 16 July, there are "no objections" to EU countries supplying defensive arms to Ukraine, and suggested that the EU consider helping Ukraine to enhance its defence capabilities. Also they asked
the Commission to develop a communication strategy to counter the Russian propaganda campaign, paying attention to its "information war", the EU to deliver "more substantial technical assistance" to help Ukraine to implement reforms and to do more to help tackle its humanitarian crisis, including Crimea.
Russia –
Russian Foreign Ministry
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MFA Russia; russian: Министерство иностранных дел Российской Федерации, МИД РФ) is the central government institution charged with lea ...
'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. "Kiev continues to blatantly violate human rights", he underlined. Moscow "demands an impartial investigation of this crime... and punishment of those responsible". The Russian officials offered their condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
Belarus –
Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed their deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. "This tragic incident once again proves the need for an immediate ceasefire as provided by
the Minsk arrangements. We are calling for immediate resuming the work of the Trilateral Contact Group to make urgent decisions in order to resolve the situation in the region and prevent new victims on the territory of our brotherly nation", The Ministry stated.
See also
*
Casualties of the Ukrainian crisis
*
January 2015 Mariupol rocket attack
An attack on Mariupol was launched on 24 January 2015 by Russian forces and Russia's controlled extremists against the strategic maritime city of Mariupol, defended by Ukrainian government forces. Mariupol had come under attack multiple time ...
*
List of equipment used by separatist forces of the war in Donbass
*
Stepan Chubenko
Stepan Viktorovych Chubenko (Ukrainian: Степан Вікторович Чубенко; 11 November 1997 – 27 July 2014) was a Ukrainian football player who played as a goalkeeper of Avanhard Kramartorsk. He was tortured and shot by militants ...
*
Volodymyr Rybak (murder victim)
Volodymyr Rybak (30 November 1971 – c. 17 April 2014) was a Ukrainian politician, representative of the Horlivka city council, kidnapped and then murdered by the pro-Russian militia on 17 April 2014. It was one of the first war crimes alleged ...
*
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian forces on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Cont ...
*
Izolyatsia prison
The premises of the former Izolyatsia ( uk, Ізоляція, lit=isolation, translit=Izoliatsiia, russian: Изоляция) factory and art centre is used as a prison in Donetsk, Ukraine, created after the city's capture in 2014 by Russian armed ...
*
February 2015 Kramatorsk rocket attack
February 2015 Kramatorsk rocket attack — a shelling of Kramatorsk by Russian forces or pro-Russian separatists during the war in Donbas. Kramatorsk was controlled by Ukrainian government forces at the time of the attack. As a result of shell ...
*
Murder of Pentecostals in Sloviansk
In Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, four members of the Transfiguration of The Lord ( uk, Преображення Господнього, Russian: Преображение Господне) Pentecostal church were captured and killed in Ju ...
*
Novosvitlivka refugee convoy attack
On 18 August 2014, during the war in Donbas, a convoy of refugees fleeing heavy fighting near Luhansk, Ukraine, was hit by an artillery strike. At least 17 people were killed in the strike which the Ukrainian government blamed on insurgents affi ...
*
Donetsk "Donetskhirmash" bus station attack
The Donetsk bus station attack occurred on 22 January 2015, when long-range guns using mortar shells targeted the "Donetskhirmash" bus station stop in the Leninskyi District, Donetsk, Ukraine. At the time, this area was under the control of p ...
References
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.
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