Ukrainian officials did not directly address Moscow's accusations that Ukraine killed its soldiers, but their comments appeared to allow for that possibility. The Main Directorate of Ukrainian Intelligence confirmed that a prisoner exchange was scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
But the directorate said that it “lacks reliable and comprehensive information about the exact identity of those on board the plane and in what quantity.”
“Ukraine fulfilled all agreements on preparations for the exchange. The Russian prisoners were delivered in a timely manner to the agreed exchange point, where they were kept safe,” the intelligence agency said in a statement. “Under the agreements, the Russian side was responsible for ensuring the safety of our defenders. At the same time, Ukraine was not informed of the need to secure the airspace over the city of Belgorod during the specified period, as previously reported.
Russia also did not inform Ukraine of how it planned to transfer prisoners, according to the directorate’s statement, adding that “landing a transport plane in a combat zone 30 kilometers deep cannot be considered safe and should be discussed between the two parties, because it exposes danger.” The entire exchange process.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense said, in a previous statement, “The Ukrainian leadership knows very well that, in accordance with established practice, today Ukrainian military personnel will be transported by military transport aircraft to Belgorod Airport for exchange.”
The ministry added that the exchange was supposed to take place at the Kolotilovka border checkpoint, which separates the Russian Belgorod region from the Sumy region in Ukraine.
None of these claims, whether about who was on board or the cause of the accident, can be independently verified.
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of committing a “terrorist act” and stressed that Ukraine was aware of the routes and means of transportation used to place prisoners in trade.
The Foreign Ministry said, “The attack on the plane was a deliberate and conscious act.” He added, “The terrorist attack clearly shows the Kiev regime's inability to negotiate.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the incident.
Ukraine's Coordination Body for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement early Wednesday that it was still analyzing reports related to the incident.
The authority said: “Before publishing official statements or comments from individuals or authorized authorities, we urge the media and citizens to refrain from publishing unverified information.” “Emphasizing that the enemy is actively conducting special information operations against Ukraine with the aim of destabilizing Ukrainian society.”
While the cause of the crash cannot be confirmed, senior Russian officials have said, without providing evidence, that Ukrainian forces shot down the plane using German or American-made missiles.
Short videos of the crash site posted by Russian state media and Telegram channels showed debris scattered in a snow-covered field, showing little of the crash site.
One of the officials, Andrei Kartapolov, is head of the Defense Committee of the lower house of the Russian parliament. He said that a second plane miraculously escaped a similar disaster.
“It was followed by the second Il-76, which was carrying about 80 more prisoners of war. Its course was changed in time,” Kartapolov said.
The Ukrainian leadership was fully aware of the impending exchange; “They were informed how to hand over the prisoners,” Kartapolov added. “But the Il-76 was shot down by three missiles from either the Patriot system or the German-made Iris-T anti-aircraft missile system.”
Russian Parliament Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that lawmakers will hold their American and German counterparts accountable.
Volodin said during a parliamentary session: “The unarmed pilots of our military transport plane, who were carrying out a humanitarian mission, were shot using American and German missiles.” “Lawmakers in these countries must realize their responsibility, where all this leads.”
The Belgorod region has served as a staging ground for Russian forces since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the regional capital, also called Belgorod, is the only major Russian city to have come under sustained attack as Ukrainian bombing has recently increased. On December 30, 25 people were killed in a missile attack there.
Serhiy Morgunov in Lisbon contributed to this report.
