Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner: No definitive confirmation that POWs were aboard crashed aircraft
Ukraine has received no evidence indicating that a large number of prisoners of war were onboard the Il-76 military transport aircraft that crashed in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, contrary to statements made by the Russian Ministry of Defence and other representatives of the aggressor country.
Source: Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast
Quote from Lubinets on whether it is currently known who was on the plane: "No, we don’t know. Based on the information I have, I can’t definitively conclude that there were indeed prisoners of war onboard. From analysing photos and videos we’ve seen posted online… Well, I’m no expert [in this field], but if the Russians had any photos or videos showing [the bodies of] our prisoners of war, they would have used them by now [to support their claim].
We haven't seen any signs that there were a large number of people – citizens of Ukraine or otherwise – on the plane."
Details: Lubinets also added that local maps and opinions of experts posted online suggest that the plane landed, took on new cargo and departed the airport again.
"In other words, it had a return flight path from that aerodrome. Experts should investigate this [detail]. In our opinion, international experts should be brought in to clearly determine what happened," the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner said.
Details: Lubinets also urged people to remember that the war continues to rage and that "it was a military plane, and it's clear how our Armed Forces should act [in such a situation] – to do everything to ensure our state stands strong and victorious."
Background:
- A Russian Il-76 aircraft crashed in the Korocha district of Russia's Belgorod Oblast. Sources in the General Staff stated the plane was carrying S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
- Following the downing of the Il-76, a number of Russian media outlets cited Andrei Kartapolov, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Defence. He claimed that the plane contained dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war who were being transported for a prisoner swap. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that he was looking into the situation.
- Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence commented that a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine had been due to take place on Wednesday, 24 January.
- In response to the news of the downing of an Il-76 aircraft in Russia, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine issued a statement saying that it would "continue to destroy means of delivery and control the airspace to eliminate the terrorist threat, including on the Belgorod-Kharkiv front".
- Later, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence reported that the prisoner exchange scheduled for 24 January did not take place. It has no information on whether there were Ukrainian prisoners on board the aircraft.
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