Terrorist armed with explosives and weapons takes 20 people hostage on bus and threatens to blow it up

A terrorist carrying guns and explosives has seized control of a bus and taken 20 people hostage in Ukraine this morning.

According to local media, the gunman has told police in Lutsk that the bus is rigged with explosives and that a second passenger vehicle in the city is also carrying bombs.

Police have already identified him and said that he expressed frustration with “Ukraine’s system” on his social media pages.

In a rambling statement posted online, the attacker – who has not been officially named – reportedly claimed to have an accomplice operating “in a crowded area of the city”.

He said: “There are a lot of people with me – machine guns, grenades, two bombs.

“My death is not an obstacle for the explosions. The state has always been and is the first terrorist.”

Police say they have talked to the gunman over the phone and that his absurd demands include calling on senior Ukrainian officials to post videos saying they are “terrorist in laws”.

He has also demanded Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urge people to watch the 2005 movie Earthlings which details how certain industries abuse animals for profit.

In video footage from the scene gunshots could be heard although it isn’t clear whether anyone has been injured.

Pictures show that some of the windows of the bus, which is parked near a theatre, have been shattered.

City centre Lutsk has been blocked off by police as they try and communicate with the terrorist.

Yuriy Kroshko, the head of the Ukrainian National Police’s department for the Volyn region, said the man was no longer taking the calls of negotiators at the scene.

In a Facebook post, Mr Kroshko said: “He posted his demands on Twitter. We are now monitoring the social network.

“He has not put forward any exact claims, only generalities regarding his dissatisfaction with the system, he does not say which system exactly.

“We are studying it, and we are trying to maintain negotiations. He used to pick up the phone but now he does not.”

TV footage shows empty streets cordoned off by officers in military uniform, police cars and an armoured personnel carrier.

Source: The Sun