Media: rocket fragments were found at the site of the crashed Il-76 in the Belgorod region

In the Belgorod region, in the area where the Russian Il-76 plane crashed, presumably fragments of an anti-aircraft guided missile were discovered. TASS reports this with reference to operational services.

 

“Elements were found on the ground confirming an external impact on the aircraft. They will be sent for examination,” the agency’s interlocutor said.

On January 24 , the Russian Ministry of Defense  reported that a Russian military transport aircraft Il-76 was shot down by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) from the village of Liptsy, Kharkov region, using an anti-aircraft missile system. The plane was flying on the route Chkalovsky airfield - Belgorod and transporting Ukrainian military personnel for exchange. On board were six crew members, 65 prisoners and three Russian servicemen accompanying them. They all died.

Later it became known that the crew members on board were from the Orenburg region. Regional authorities published a list of the names of the victims and expressed condolences to their families.

On January 25, RIA Novosti, citing a representative of emergency services, reported that both black boxes of the downed Il-76 were found in the Belgorod region. Their technical condition is assessed as good.

The Russian Ministry of Defense called the incident a terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that Kyiv will seek an international investigation.