The OSCE SMM patrol confirmed the death and injury of the bus passengers near Olenivka and heard the sounds of the battle near the tragedy site. This is stated in the mission’s report.
The SMM saw two civilian casualties near a “DNR” checkpoint in Olenivka. The SMM staff saw a hole in a window on the driver’s side of a bus, which seemed to be caused by a bullet.
The observers assessed that the bus was hit by small-arms fire originating from a westerly direction.
Then, the “DNR” member accompanied the SMM to an “emergency service” tent next to the bus stop, where the SMM saw two men: one had blood covering the left side of his face and was holding gauze to it and the other had gunshot wounds in his neck and left cheek.
Before departing from the area, the SMM was told that the man had died and that the other man had been transported to a hospital in Donetsk.
On the way out from the tent, at 13:36, the SMM heard uncountable overlapping bursts and shots of small-arms fire about 1-2km west-south-west, followed by at least six explosions about 2-4km at the same direction.
As previously reported, the leader of the "DNR" militants Alexander Zakharchenko said that there had been no battle near the place of the tragedy. He stated that the bus had been purposefully shelled, perhaps even by a sniper.