Defense news ,Ukrain & Russia war :- In a shocking incident on Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of intentionally shooting down a military transport plane that was en route to a prisoner exchange. The plane, an Ilyushin Il-76, was carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers, along with six Russian crew members and three guards. Tragically, all 74 individuals on board lost their lives when the aircraft was downed near the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border.
Russian state media reported the deliberate nature of the attack, asserting that Ukrainian operators of surface-to-air missile systems were fully aware of the plane's route and purpose. Andrei Kartapolov, a retired general and lawmaker in Russia's parliament, claimed in a TV interview that the incident was orchestrated to sabotage the planned prisoner exchange.
Kartapolov further alleged that the plane was brought down by three missiles, supposedly of either U.S. or German manufacture. If confirmed, this would mark the deadliest incident in the nearly two-year-old conflict within Russia's internationally recognized borders.
As news of the incident spread, Ukraine's defense ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, indicated that more information would be provided once all data had been clarified.
Initial reports from Ukrainian media suggested that Kyiv had targeted the plane due to suspicions of it carrying S-300 missiles. However, these claims were later corrected, stating that the information had not been confirmed by reliable sources.
A video posted on the Telegram messaging app by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services and verified by Reuters, depicted the large aircraft plummeting to the ground near the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region, exploding in a massive fireball.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, confirmed that there were no survivors, and the incident occurred in the Korochansky district. The region, which borders Ukraine, has been a frequent target of attacks, including a December missile strike that claimed 25 lives.
Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the State Duma, condemned the attack, stating that an appeal would be made to the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag to reconsider their support for Ukraine. He claimed that Ukraine had intentionally shot down its own soldiers and defenseless pilots, carrying out a humanitarian mission with American and German rockets.
The Kremlin responded to inquiries by stating that it was investigating the situation. The tragedy highlights the escalation of tensions in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
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