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Moscow has accused Kyiv of capturing down a navy transport aircraft carrying Ukrainian prisoners of conflict, which crashed close to Russia’s border with Ukraine on Wednesday morning.
The Russian defence ministry mentioned all 74 folks onboard the Il-76 aircraft died, together with 65 Ukrainian troopers who have been being transported for a prisoner change from Moscow to the Belgorod area of Russia — the Russian province that has confronted probably the most spillover from President Vladimir Putin’s practically two-year invasion.
Six crew members and three Russian service personnel accompanying the prisoners have been additionally among the many passengers, in line with the defence ministry.
Video posted on the social media app Telegram confirmed a aircraft banking sharply close to a village earlier than bursting into a big ball of flame because it hit the bottom. Trails from what gave the impression to be anti-aircraft hearth have been seen within the sky behind it, whereas the aircraft gave the impression to be on hearth earlier than it crashed.
Moscow claimed Kyiv’s forces shot down the aircraft with a purpose to sabotage the PoW change “with the aim of accusing Russia of eliminating Ukrainian troopers”.
In a cryptic assertion issued after the crash, Ukraine’s normal employees mentioned it could proceed to focus on Russian navy transport planes in Belgorod area on condition that they ship missiles used to focus on the Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv.
“The armed forces of Ukraine will proceed to take measures to destroy technique of supply, management the airspace to destroy the terrorist menace, together with within the Belgorod-Kharkiv route,” the assertion mentioned.
Ukrainian officers didn’t affirm who was on board, however advised the Monetary Instances they have been investigating the downing and would offer extra data later.
Andriy Yusov of Ukraine’s navy intelligence directorate advised Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian service in Kyiv {that a} prisoner change had been scheduled for Wednesday however was suspended following the aircraft crash. When contacted by the FT, Yusov didn’t affirm that Kyiv had shot down the aircraft with its air defences and declined to remark till his workplace might confirm the main points of the incident.
Nearly all prisoner swaps between the warring sides are carried out at a small border crossing connecting the Russian village of Kolotilovka, in Belgorod area, and the village of Pokrovka, in Ukraine’s Sumy area. The aircraft crashed about 150km east of the border crossing.
Ukraine and Russia carried out the most important swap of prisoners on January 3, when 230 Ukrainians have been launched in change for 248 Russians, in line with every nation’s defence officers. It was the primary change of prisoners since August, resulting from what Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as “Russia-related” causes. In December, he mentioned negotiations with Moscow over the exchanges have been “difficult”.
Margarita Simonyan, editor of Russian overseas propaganda community RT, printed what she mentioned was an inventory of the 65 Ukrainian prisoners of conflict who had been on board the aircraft.
The Ukrainian state physique answerable for prisoners of conflict urged warning over “enemy propaganda assets concerning the crash”.
Ukrainian media initially reported, citing nameless sources, that Kyiv’s armed forces had shot the aircraft down and claimed it was carrying missiles used for air strikes in opposition to Ukraine’s Kharkiv area, which borders Belgorod. A few of them later deleted posts with these claims.
Anatoly Kartapolov, chair of the defence committee in Russia’s decrease home of parliament, mentioned one other Il-76 carrying 80 Ukrainian prisoners of conflict had been following intently behind, however was safely diverted from the realm.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor, mentioned investigators and emergency employees have been on the scene close to the village of Yablonovo.
