UN unable to verify details surrounding Il-76 crash
Representatives of the United Nations are unable to verify information about the circumstances surrounding the crash of a Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft, which occurred on 24 January near Belgorod, Russia.
Source: Rosemary Dicarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General, at a meeting of the UN Security Council, as reported by Suspilne
Quote: "According to Russian authorities, the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six Russian crew members and three Russian military personnel. According to Ukrainian authorities, the plane may have been carrying missiles for Russia’s military.
The United Nations is not in a position to verify these reports or the circumstances of the crash. What is clear is that the incident took place in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing war."
Details: UN Under-Secretary-General recalled that Ukraine called for an international investigation.
According to Dicarlo, in recent weeks "the scale and intensity of attacks against Ukraine have only grown, highlighting the dangerous trajectory of the war."
"Shelling and missile strikes on civilian areas continue to kill and maim civilians and cause massive destruction to critical infrastructure," Dicarlo emphasised.
Background:
- On 24 January, 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. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that there were 65 Ukrainian soldiers on board who were being transported for a prisoner swap from the Chkalovsky airfield (Moscow Oblast) to Belgorod for exchange. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the "launch of two Ukrainian missiles" was recorded, 74 people were killed by the strike, in particular 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
- Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan even published a list of the Ukrainian prisoners of war who she alleged were on board the Il-76 aircraft that crashed. Only the names of the six dead crew members are known to the media.
- Defence Intelligence of Ukraine commented that a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine had been due to take place on Wednesday 24 January. At the same time, the Defence Intelligence noted that it had no information on whether Ukrainian prisoners were on board. At the previous exchange, prisoners were delivered by plane, but then they were warned about it.
- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, without mentioning the Іl-76, stated that they were taking all measures to protect Ukraine and Ukrainians.
- Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, stated that Russian high-ranking officials should have been on board the plane, but the FSB forbade them at the last minute, and only five bodies were delivered to the local morgue following the incident.
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