Russia claims to have passed bodies from cargo plane that crashed in early 2024, Ukraine says investigation underway

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has confirmed that Russia had handed over the bodies of what it claimed were Ukrainian defenders killed in the downing of the IL-76, but that these remains require additional identification, which is currently underway.

Source: Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War

Quote: "Regarding the statements of the Russian side on bringing back the bodies of Ukrainian defenders, allegedly killed in the crash of the IL-76 aircraft.

During the latest repatriation activities, the remains of the deceased were transferred to Ukraine from the aggressor state, which requires additional identification. As of now, expert institutions are establishing, within the framework of criminal proceedings, whether the remains of these individuals really belong to Ukrainian servicemen."

Details: The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War added that they are monitoring the situation and are in contact with all authorised institutions.

For reference: On 8 November, the bodies of 563 fallen Ukrainian defenders were returned to Ukraine as a result of repatriation operations. 

Later, Tatyana Moskalkova, Russia's Commissioner for Human Rights, said in an interview with the Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Russia had handed over to Ukraine the bodies of prisoners of war who were allegedly killed in the crash of an IL-76 in Belgorod Oblast on 24 January.

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. 
• After the crash of the Russian Il-76 in Belgorod Oblast of Russia, a number of Russian media outlets spread statements by the head of Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Defence, who claimed that the plane contained dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war who had been taken for exchange. 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. 
• A few hours after the information about the downing of the IL-76 appeared, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces released a statement hinting that the aircraft was a military target and was carrying ammunition for the Russian army. 
• Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraineʼs Commissioner for Human Rights, said that Ukraine had not seen any signs that the IL-76 that crashed in Belgorod Oblast was carrying many Ukrainian prisoners of war, as claimed by the Russian Ministry of Defence and other representatives of Russia. The head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the situation with the IL-76 was unclear because Russia did not show the bodies.
• Russia did not provide the UN Security Council with any evidence that there were Ukrainian prisoners of war on board the Il-76 military transport plane that crashed in Belgorod Oblast. Furthermore, Russia rejected a request for an international commission to investigate what happened near Belgorod on 24 January.

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