Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement after 10 people were killed and 13 injured when a passenger bus was shelled at a government army checkpoint in Buhas, Ukraine:

“The deadly attack against passengers on a bus in eastern Ukraine is a reprehensible and unjustifiable act. The ongoing aggression by Russian-sponsored militants is in violation of the Minsk ceasefire agreements and must end immediately.

“This is one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since the signing of the ceasefire agreements and comes after an increased level of violence over recent days.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this attack. Together with our allies and partners, Canada will continue to stand by Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression.”