Russia accuses Ukraine of shooting down Belgorod plane with 65 POWs
3 Min Read
Ukraine was aware of the anticipated arrival of the transport plane carrying the captured Ukrainian soldiers at the Belgorod airfield, as per the Russian Defense Ministry.
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A photo that reportedly shows the aftermath of a crashed Il-76. (Screengrab)
Russia accused Ukraine of intentionally downing a Russian military transport plane that was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers to a prisoner exchange. Russia labeled the incident as a barbaric act of terrorism, resulting in the death of a total of 74 people.
Ukraine did not explicitly confirm responsibility for shooting down the Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane near the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. Ukraine also contested crucial aspects of Moscow's version of events and did not verify the presence of Ukrainian prisoners on the aircraft.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his evening address, emphasized the need for more clarity regarding the incident, especially concerning the individuals on board the plane.
"It is clear that the Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, the feelings of their loved ones and the emotions of our society," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not issued a statement on the incident. Meanwhile, video footage shared on Telegram by Baza, a channel associated with Russian security services and confirmed by Reuters, depicted a sizable aircraft plummeting to the ground near the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region, followed by an explosion and subsequent fireball.
Ukraine just shot down a Russian Airliner that was flying to Ukraine for a prisoner swap.
— 🇺🇸ProudArmyBrat (@leslibless) January 24, 2024
The plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian soldiers!
They shot down their OWN, probably w OUR missiles.
Biden will definitely be spinning this one. pic.twitter.com/bXLPxGWNQ1
Ukraine was aware of plane's arrival
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the plane carried six Russian crew members and three Russian soldiers. The planned exchange with Ukraine was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at a border checkpoint.
According to the ministry, Ukraine was aware of the anticipated arrival of the transport plane carrying the captured Ukrainian soldiers at the Belgorod airfield. Russian radar operators detected the launch of two Ukrainian missiles at the time of the crash.
"By committing this terrorist act, the Ukrainian leadership has showed its true face. It disregarded the lives of its own citizens," the ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency acknowledged the planned swap but stated that it had not been informed about how Russia intended to transport the prisoners to the designated handover point. Additionally, Ukraine clarified that it had not been requested to ensure airspace security around Belgorod, in contrast to previous exchanges.
"On this basis, we may be talking about planned and deliberate actions by Russia to destabilize the situation in Ukraine and weaken international support for our state," GUR said in a post on Telegram.
Read more: Putin: Ukraine war a 'great tragedy' resulting from Western desires
