Ukraine Questions Moscow’s Claim of Ukrainian Prisoners of War Killed in Plane Crash
In a recent development, Ukraine has raised doubts about Moscow’s claim that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in a plane crash. According to a Ukraine military intelligence official, only five bodies were delivered from the crash site to a nearby morgue, contradicting Moscow’s assertion. The incident occurred when an Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders eastern Ukraine.
Conflicting accounts have emerged from both Moscow and Kyiv regarding the circumstances of the crash. Moscow contends that the plane was transporting Ukrainian prisoners of war, while Kyiv maintains that it was carrying Russian missiles intended for further strikes on Ukraine. However, Ukraine’s growing confidence suggests that the plane may not have been carrying prisoners of war, as claimed by Moscow.
Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (DI), stated that the number of bodies brought to the morgue matched the number of crew members on the plane. He added, “No other bodies were detected.” Moscow had initially claimed that all 74 people on board, including six crew members, three military escorts, and 65 Ukrainian servicemen, were killed in the crash. However, when pressed to account for the discrepancy between the number of crew members and the number of bodies, Yusov stood by his initial comments.
Russia initially failed to provide visual evidence supporting its claim that there were Ukrainian soldiers on the plane. The first video from the crash site showed several dead bodies but did not suggest dozens of fatalities. However, the Russian Investigative Committee released a second video on Thursday, purportedly from the crash site, showing human remains in the snow. The video also included aerial footage of the crash site and remnants of the plane.
CNN geolocated the two videos released by Russia’s Investigative Committee and confirmed that they matched the location of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image taken by Umbra Space for CNN. The crash site was located in a field in rural Belgorod oblast, just north of the small village of Yablonovo. The SAR image revealed a sprawling debris field, approximately a mile long and 800 feet wide at its widest point.
In addition to the conflicting accounts of the crash, Moscow accused Kyiv of downing the plane with an anti-aircraft missile system from Ukrainian territory. Moscow claimed that its radar equipment detected two Ukrainian missiles. However, Ukraine’s military command did not confirm firing at the plane and stated that it regarded Russian military aircraft approaching Belgorod as a legitimate target.
Both Moscow and Kyiv agreed that a prisoner exchange had been planned for Wednesday, with the swap scheduled to take place west of Belgorod city. While Ukraine’s ombudsman confirmed the planned swap, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence spokesperson, Yusov, stated that they had not received notification that the prisoners would be flown into the region. Yusov also claimed that Russian IL-76 aircraft were often used to transport S-300 missiles to forward positions, suggesting that Russia was restocking its missiles in the Belgorod region.
These remarks by Yusov and other Ukrainian officials cast doubt on Moscow’s account and accuse Russia of engaging in propaganda to discredit Ukraine. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman, called Moscow’s account an example of Russia planning an information campaign against Ukraine. He has sent official letters to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seeking clarification on whether they were informed by Russia about the transfer of prisoners of war by plane.
In response to the crash, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) launched a criminal investigation and called for an international inquiry. They emphasized that there is no evidence to support Russia’s claim that Ukrainian citizens were killed on board. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that it is premature to discuss instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the incident, as the investigation is still ongoing. He condemned the downing of the IL-76, calling it an “absolutely monstrous act.”
As the investigation continues, the conflicting accounts and lack of concrete evidence raise questions about the true nature of the plane crash and the fate of the individuals on board. The international community awaits further developments and hopes for a transparent and impartial investigation to uncover the truth behind this tragic incident.