The Russian Il-76 that crashed in the Belgorod region on January 24 was shot down by a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system obtained from a European ally of Ukraine. This is written The New York Times in an article titled “Ukraine’s creative use of weapons holds promise and risk.”
The NYT cited anonymous US officials who said the Russian plane was shot down with a Patriot system and was likely carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war.
But Ukraine’s use of a Patriot missile to shoot down the plane last month is an example of how new battlefield tactics can be dangerously executed as well as promising.
“Ukraine appears to have acted on legitimate but flawed intelligence. The plane had previously been used to transport missiles, making it a very valuable asset,” the NYT sources added.
The sources of the American newspaper also explain that the Patriot system, with which the Il-76 plane was shot down, was provided by a European country to Ukraine.
On January 24, a Russian Il-76 strategic aircraft crashed 70 km from the Russian city of Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border. Russia claims there were 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board. Neither Ukraine nor any national or international authority can confirm or deny this.
2024-02-08 16:25:13
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