President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has taken the situation with the hijacked passenger bus in Lutsk downtown under personal control. The head of state said that everything possible is being done to settle the situation without casualties.

"Alarming news from Lutsk. This morning, at 09:25, a citizen called the local police and said that he had seized a bus with hostages. Shooting was heard, the bus is damaged. The police have announced a hostage alert, the SBU introduced the Boomerang plan. We are doing the utmost to settle the situation without casualties. I have taken the situation under personal control," Zelensky said on his Facebook page.