Ukraine confirms its POWs were on aircraft that was shot down
(MENAFN) A top Ukrainian official has confirmed that Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were among those killed when a Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft was shot down over Russia’s Belgorod Region in January 2024. The plane, which was carrying 65 Ukrainian servicemen slated for a prisoner exchange, crashed near the village of Yablonovo, killing all 74 people on board.
Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Timchenko disclosed the details in an interview with Ukrainian outlet Censor.net, highlighting the complexity of identifying remains returned by Russia. He referenced the Il-76 incident to illustrate the difficult work of forensic teams, noting that more than 500 body parts had been recovered from the wreckage.
“When we receive a package and find body parts, we understand these are fragments from multiple individuals,” he said. Investigators are currently working to match the remains with DNA from the families of missing POWs.
At the time of the incident, Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the plane was transporting Ukrainian POWs for a scheduled exchange, along with six crew members and three guards. President Vladimir Putin expressed confusion over Ukraine’s decision to shoot down the plane, suggesting it might have been a mistake.
Ukraine initially acknowledged the incident but claimed it was unaware of the aircraft's occupants. It justified the strike by stating that the Il-76 was a military aircraft and claimed it may have been carrying air defense missiles. However, over time, DNA tests from remains returned by Russia confirmed they belonged mostly to the POWs’ families.
A February 2024 New York Times article cited U.S. officials who believe the plane was downed by a U.S.-made Patriot missile system operated by Ukrainian forces—corroborating Russia’s report of two Ukrainian missile launches detected before the crash.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
