Russia accused Ukraine of taking pictures down a Russian navy cargo aircraft that crashed on January 24 within the Belgorod area close to the border with Ukraine, killing all 74 folks on board, together with 65 Ukrainian POWs who have been on their approach to a prisoner alternate.
Ukrainian officers didn’t affirm or deny the Russian allegation, saying in a assertion on Fb {that a} prisoner alternate was to have taken place on January 24 and Russia had not knowledgeable Ukraine that Ukrainian POWs can be flown on cargo planes.
Ukraine’s Important Intelligence Directorate mentioned it didn’t have ”dependable and complete info” on who was on board the flight however mentioned the Russian POWs it was liable for ”have been delivered in time to the conditional alternate level the place they have been protected.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy referred to as for full readability on the circumstances of the crash.
”We have to set up all of the clear details, as a lot as potential, on condition that the downing of the aircraft occurred on Russian territory, which is past our management,” he mentioned in in his nightly video broadcast.
”It’s clear that the Russians are enjoying with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, the sentiments of their family members, and the feelings of our society,” Zelenskiy mentioned.
He didn’t affirm or deny Russia’s claims however mentioned it had been a ”very tough day.”
He additionally referred to as for a global investigation into what introduced down the aircraft.
Russia backed up its accusation that Ukraine intentionally shot down the Ilyushin Il-76 navy cargo aircraft by saying Russian radar registered the launch of two missiles from Ukraine’s Kharkiv area, which borders the Belgorod area.
The Ukrainian navy’s Common Employees mentioned in a press release that didn’t point out the crash that the Ukrainian navy had observed extra Russian navy transport plane touchdown in Belgorod and linked this to Russian missile strikes on Kharkiv and different Ukrainian cities.
”With this in thoughts, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will proceed to take measures to destroy technique of supply and train airspace management to get rid of the terrorist menace, together with within the Belgorod-Kharkiv course,” it mentioned on Telegram.
The Ukrainian navy intelligence assertion on Fb mentioned Kyiv had not been requested to make sure airspace safety across the Belgorod space as had been the case throughout earlier POW swaps.
It mentioned Russia’s accusations that Kyiv shot down the transport aircraft might be ”a deliberate motion to destabilize the state of affairs in Ukraine and weaken worldwide assist for our state.”
The US has no affirmation of who could have been on board the aircraft, White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby mentioned.
“We’ve seen the reviews, however we’re not in any place to substantiate them,” Kirby mentioned.
Russia referred to as for an emergency UN Safety Council session to debate the downing of the plane, which Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov referred to as a ”legal” act by Ukraine.
”The Ukrainian prisoners of struggle have been transported to the Belgorod area as a way to conduct one more swap that was agreed between Moscow and Kyiv,” Lavrov instructed a press convention on the United Nations in New York.
”As an alternative of this, the Ukrainian facet launched an air protection missile from the Kharkiv area. It focused the airplane and was a deadly strike.”
Russian officers mentioned earlier that the aircraft was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of struggle, six crew members, and three escorts.
A listing of the six crew members who have been imagined to be on the flight was obtained by RFE/RL. The deaths of three of the crew members have been confirmed to RFE/RL by their family.
Video on social media confirmed a aircraft, which seems to be an Ilyushin Il-76 navy transport plane, spiraling to the bottom, adopted by a loud bang and explosion that despatched a ball of smoke and flames skyward.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to touch upon the aircraft crash, saying he was nonetheless gathering info on the incident.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to touch upon the aircraft crash, saying he was nonetheless gathering info on the incident.
Nevertheless, Russian lawmaker and retired Common Andrei Kartapolov, talking in a tv interview, accused Ukraine of taking pictures the aircraft down, whereas the media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, citing what it referred to as sources within the armed forces of Ukraine, wrote that Kyiv’s navy had indicated the crash was “their work,” including that the aircraft was carrying missiles for Russia’s S-300 air protection system. It later deleted the publish.
Moscow and Kyiv have held a number of prisoner swaps because the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Russian Protection Ministry earlier reported {that a} drone had been shot down within the area however gave no additional particulars.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, Reuters, and AP