KIEV, July 21. /TASS/. The terrorist who hijacked a bus with passengers onboard in Ukraine’s Lutsk has released three hostages, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Tuesday.

"[Deputy Chief of Ukraine’s National Police Yevgeny] Koval picked up three hostages," the minister wrote on Twitter.

At the same time, he published a video shoring a man dressed in the police uniform moves away from the bus accompanied by two women and one child. According to Ukrainian media outlets, the terrorist freed a pregnant woman and a senior woman.

Ukrainian Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko told 112 Ukraine TV that the injured person who is still in the bus "received help <…> the wound was bandaged." He also informed that around 10 people are still in the bus.

Approximately ten hours ago, the man hijacked a bus in Lutsk with around 20 people onboard. The police say the terrorist is armed with grenades and an automatic weapon. The man himself informed the police about the bus capture and noted that he had "planted another landmine in a crowded place in the city which can detonate." Ukraine’s media outlets specify that he had a previous criminal record.

Since taking the people hostage, the terrorist twice opened fire at law enforcement officers, and also hurled a grenade that did not explode and also tried to bring down a police quadcopter with gunfire. People living in nearby buildings next to the scene are evacuated. The Ukrainian security service launched criminal proceedings on charges of terrorism.