Russia accused Ukraine of capturing down a Russian army cargo airplane 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 solution to a prisoner alternate.
Ukrainian officers didn’t verify 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 Fundamental 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 accountable for ”have been delivered in time to the conditional alternate level the place they have been secure.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy known as for full readability on the circumstances of the crash.
”We have to set up all of the clear information, as a lot as attainable, provided that the downing of the airplane 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 emotions of their family members, and the feelings of our society,” Zelenskiy mentioned.
He didn’t verify or deny Russia’s claims however mentioned it had been a ”very tough day.”
He additionally known as for a global investigation into what introduced down the airplane.
Moscow backed up its accusation that Ukraine intentionally shot down the Ilyushin Il-76 army cargo airplane by saying Russian radar registered the launch of two missiles from Ukraine’s Kharkiv area, which borders the Belgorod area.
The Ukrainian army’s Normal Employees mentioned in an announcement that didn’t point out the crash that the Ukrainian army had observed extra Russian army 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 eradicate the terrorist risk, together with within the Belgorod-Kharkiv route,” it mentioned on Telegram.
The Ukrainian army 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 airplane might be ”a deliberate motion to destabilize the state of affairs in Ukraine and weaken worldwide assist for our state.”
America has no affirmation of who could have been on board the airplane, White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby mentioned.
“We’ve seen the stories, however we’re not in any place to substantiate them,” Kirby mentioned.
Russia known as for an emergency UN Safety Council session to debate the downing of the plane, which Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov known as a ”felony” act by Ukraine.
”The Ukrainian prisoners of warfare have been transported to the Belgorod area with the intention to conduct one more swap that was agreed between Moscow and Kyiv,” Lavrov informed a press convention on the United Nations in New York.
”As an alternative of this, the Ukrainian aspect launched an air protection missile from the Kharkiv area. It focused the airplane and was a deadly strike.”
Russian officers mentioned earlier that the airplane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of warfare, six crew members, and three escorts.
A listing of the six crew members who have been purported 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 airplane, which seems to be an Ilyushin Il-76 army 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 airplane crash, saying he was nonetheless gathering info on the incident.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to touch upon the airplane crash, saying he was nonetheless gathering info on the incident.
Nonetheless, Russian lawmaker and retired Normal Andrei Kartapolov, talking in a tv interview, accused Ukraine of capturing the airplane down, whereas the media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, citing what it known as sources within the armed forces of Ukraine, wrote that Kyiv’s army had indicated the crash was “their work,” including that the airplane was carrying missiles for Russia’s S-300 air protection system. It later deleted the submit.
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