A Ukrainian missile hit led to the crash of an Il-76 in the Belgorod region
“The missile’s destructive elements damaged the aircraft’s engines and its structure. This external influence caused the complete loss of control of the Il-76,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
On January 24, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down a Russian military transport plane Il-76 over the Belgorod region, which was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners for exchange. All of them, as well as three accompanying officers of the Russian Armed Forces and six crew members died.
According to President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian intelligence knew that Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war were on board the Il-76, and nevertheless struck - either through negligence or on purpose, “but in any case it is a crime.” Judging by the evidence, an air defense system made in France or the USA was operating.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the crash of the Il-76 “raises a big question about the possibility of at least some kind of agreement” with Kiev. Ukrainian media first wrote that the Il-76 was shot down by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but then deleted this data from their websites. Later, Ukraine indirectly admitted that it had shot down this plane - the Main Intelligence Directorate complained that Russia allegedly did not notify about the flight of the plane.
Officially, Kyiv speaks of the need for an international investigation; unofficially, the local media has launched a thesis that the Il-76 was carrying missiles for the S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that an international investigation is “definitely necessary” if it focuses on the crimes of the Kyiv regime.
