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Self-proclaimed Donetsk republic not invited to take part in bus attack investigation

The self-proclaimed republic’s leadership denied its role in the attack, saying the tragedy is the result of Kiev’s provocation

DONETSK, January 15. /TASS/. The leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk people’s republic has not received an invitation from the OSCE to participate in the investigation into the deadly attack on a civilian bus in eastern Ukraine, DPR’s chief negotiator Denis Pushilin said on Thursday.

“The DPR is open for cooperation and is ready to make a contribution in the investigation into this crime,” Denis Pushilin was quoted by the Donetsk news agency as saying.

Pushilin said earlier that a three-party special commission on investigating the bus attack in Volnovakha, near Donetsk, established by the OSCE, may start the effort on Thursday.

The tragedy at a Ukrainian Armed Forces' checkpoint in the city of Volnovakha, some 60 kilometers to the southwest of Donetsk, occurred on January 13. Twelve civilians were killed and at least 16 were wounded.

Kiev insists that the bus was shelled by Donetsk militia from Grad multiple launch rocket systems. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in its report confirmed that the bus was hit by a rocket launched from a Grad system. “At approximately 14:35hrs on 13 January the regional traffic police confirmed to the SMM that a Grad rocket struck close to a civilian bus when it stopped at a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint approximately 2km north of Volnovakha (35km south-west of Donetsk),” the report said.

The self-proclaimed republic’s leadership denied its role in the attack, saying the tragedy is the result of Kiev’s provocation. The republic's prosecutors suggested that the bus could have been blown up by a directed action mine.