Ukraine Says Russian Files Point to No Drone Activity in Controversial Bryansk Bus Case

Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) has published what it says is a Russian internal document denying any Ukrainian drone activity in the area of a reported attack on a bus carrying Belarusian citizens in Russia’s Bryansk region, a case Kyiv now links to a possible false-flag operation, Ukrainska Pravda reports.

According to the SSU, the intercepted report comes from a regional monitoring body in Bryansk and was obtained through counterintelligence activity. It states that no UAVs were detected in the airspace at the time of the incident and that multiple Russian units independently confirmed the absence of drone activity.

The document reportedly notes that the regional operational center did not register any unmanned aerial vehicles in the area, while radar personnel stationed in Suponevo also found no evidence of drone presence. In addition, a duty unit from Russia’s 32nd division allegedly confirmed that no flights were recorded during the relevant timeframe.

On the basis of this material, the SSU argues that there is no operational evidence supporting claims of a Ukrainian strike and suggests instead that the incident may have been staged by Russian intelligence services.

The agency said Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of actions later attributed to Russian actors, framing such incidents as part of broader information operations intended to influence international opinion and pressure Kyiv diplomatically.

In its statement, the SSU emphasized Ukraine’s compliance with international law. “We stress once again that Ukraine and all the security and defence forces of our state strictly comply with the laws and customs of war and operate exclusively against legitimate military targets,” the agency said.

It also added that Russian authorities use such incidents as part of psychological and informational campaigns, reiterating its claim that Moscow frequently constructs narratives around events it did not directly investigate or verify.