The Russian side submitted a list of Ukrainian prisoners who, according to its version, were on board the Il-76 plane that crashed in the Belgorod region on January 24. This was announced by the Coordinating Headquarters of Ukraine on Prisoner of War Issues.
"The Russian side belatedly responded to our appeals by presenting a list that was previously published on Russian propaganda resources. The coordination headquarters confirms that 65 Ukrainian defenders from this list were indeed supposed to be exchanged on January 24," the message reads. It is noted that the relatives of the soldiers from this list, who watched the video from the plane crash site, did not find evidence of the presence of their relatives among the publicized body fragments.
The head of the Coordination Staff and head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov emphasized that there is currently no reliable information about who was on board the plane. "We are analyzing all information from many sources, and the version of Russian propaganda about 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war raises many questions," he added.
Serhiy Andrushchenko, deputy head of the SBU, said that Russia is trying to keep the true causes of the disaster from the public by refusing the participation of international experts in the investigation. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets turned to the International Committee of the Red Cross to determine information regarding the possible transportation of prisoners.
The Il-76 plane crashed in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation on January 24, carrying missiles for the S-300 air defense system. Russia claims the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners, but Ukraine insists on an international investigation into the incident. Russia refuses to let international experts into the disaster site.
