Крушение Ил-76. Что произошло на самом деле и были ли на борту украинские пленные?

Summary

On January 24th, a Russian IL-76 aircraft crashed in Russia's Belgorod region, killing 65 Ukrainian POWs being exchanged, per Russia's Defense Ministry. Ukraine confirmed a prisoner exchange was planned but didn't comment for 6 hours. Early Ukrainian media reports claimed Ukraine's military shot down the plane carrying S-300 missiles before retracting. Russia blames Ukraine's military for shooting down the plane. Ukraine is unlikely to take responsibility given the POWs on board. The events put Ukraine in a difficult position as Russia pushes its version of events.

Takeaways

• 😱 A Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft crashed in Russia's Belgorod region, killing 65 Ukrainian POWs who were allegedly being exchanged
• 😯 Conflicting reports emerged, with Ukraine first claiming their forces shot it down, then retracting as Russia announced POWs were aboard
• 🤔 The crash has led to confusion and finger-pointing between Russia and Ukraine over what exactly happened
• 🤨 Russia accused Ukraine of shooting down the plane with surface-to-air missiles during a planned POW exchange
• 😕 Ukraine eventually confirmed a POW exchange was planned for the day, but has not claimed or denied responsibility for downing the plane
• 😐 Ukrainian military figures made contradictory statements, with some still claiming it carried missiles, not POWs
• 😟 The incident complicates POW exchanges and relations between Russia and Ukraine
• 🧐 Military experts assess the aircraft was likely shot down based on video evidence, but facts remain unclear
• 😠 Russia decried the alleged attack by Ukraine as a war crime and violation of international humanitarian law
• 😔 The final death toll and identity of those killed awaits official confirmation by either side

Q & A

What happened on January 24th in Belgorod region of Russia?

A Russian Il-76 military cargo plane crashed in a field near the village of Yablovo in Belgorod region. The plane was reportedly carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war.

What did the Russian Defense Ministry claim about the plane crash?

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the plane was shot down by Ukrainian air defense missiles fired from the village of Lipetsk in Kharkiv region.

How did Ukraine initially respond to the plane crash?

Ukraine did not immediately comment on the crash. Top officials said they were still gathering information and verifying reports.

What exchange of prisoners was planned for that day?

Russia claimed a prisoner exchange was planned for that day, with 192 Russian prisoners to be exchanged for 199 Ukrainian prisoners at a checkpoint in Belgorod region.

Could the Ukrainian military have shot down the plane?

It's theoretically possible. Ukraine recently claimed to have shot down a Russian A-50 aircraft from around 120km away, similar to the distance between Kharkiv and the crash site.

Did Ukraine know prisoners were on the plane?

It's unclear. Russia claims Ukraine knew, but Ukraine hasn't confirmed or denied this.

What are the possible explanations from Ukraine's side?

Ukraine may claim Russia shot down the plane themselves to blame Ukraine, or that there were no prisoners on board and Russia killed them on the ground.

What was being transported on the plane according to Ukraine?

Some Ukrainian officials claimed the plane was transporting missiles for S-300 systems that have been used against Kharkiv region.

How has this incident affected relations between Russia and Ukraine?

It has increased tensions. Both sides are blaming each other, with Russia demanding an international investigation and Ukraine denying responsibility.

What are the next steps?

Ukraine will likely publicly state one of the explanations its experts have proposed. But it's unlikely to take direct responsibility if prisoners were killed.