After plane crash
Kiev has “no reliable information” about passengers
January 24, 2024, 6:51 p.m
Much remains unclear about the plane crash in the Russian-Ukrainian border region. From Moscow it is said that 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board for an exchange. Ukraine confirms a planned exchange. But who was on the plane remains unclear from Kiev’s perspective.
Ukrainian military intelligence says it has “no reliable information” about the passengers of the Russian plane that crashed over the border region of Belgorod. “We currently do not have reliable and complete information about who or how many people were on board the aircraft,” the intelligence agency said. According to information from Moscow, the plane was transporting 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. However, this information cannot be independently verified.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, an exchange of prisoners was planned, but “did not take place.” Kiev “was not informed” that the airspace in the area needed to be secured, it said in a statement. For its part, Ukraine has fulfilled all agreements to properly prepare for the exchange.
A few hours earlier, Russian media reported that an Ilyushin Il-76 plane had crashed in the Russian border region of Belgorod. In addition to the more than 60 Ukrainian prisoners of war, there were allegedly six crew members and three accompanying persons on board the machine. This is reported by the RIA Novosti news agency, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow. According to local authorities, there were no survivors. The Russian Defense Ministry accused Kiev of shooting down the plane and thus an “act of terrorism.”
Human Rights Commissioner announces investigation
“Landing a transport aircraft in a 30-kilometer-long war zone cannot be safe and should definitely be discussed by both sides, otherwise the entire exchange process is at risk,” the Ukrainian intelligence statement continued. He accuses Russia of knowingly accepting the launch: “On this basis, we may be talking about planned and deliberate actions by the Russian Federation with the aim of destabilizing the situation in Ukraine and weakening international support for our state .”
In Kiev, the news portal Ukraijinska Pravda reported, citing military sources, that the Ukrainian side confirmed the crash. According to information from the General Staff, the aircraft was supposed to bring S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to the front.
The Ukrainian government itself initially did not comment on the allegations. A Ukrainian government agency responsible for questions about prisoners of war later said it was checking the Russian information. The Human Rights Commissioner of the Ukrainian Parliament and one of those responsible for the prisoner exchange, Dmytro Lubinets, announced an investigation.
Without elaborating on the plane crash, the Ukrainian army said it would “continue to take measures to destroy delivery vehicles and control airspace to eliminate the terrorist threat” – including in the border area between Russia’s Belgorod region and Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.