On January 24, 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down a Russian Il-76 military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners for exchange over the Belgorod region. All the prisoners on board, as well as six crew members and three escorts, were killed — a total of 74 people.
Ordnance found at the Il-76 crash site shows an air defense system of French or US origin was used to shoot it down, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The origin of the missiles will be clear in a matter of days, Putin told a meeting with students participating in the special military operation in St. Petersburg.
"The weapons seized at the [crash] site indicate that this is an air defense missile. This means either they were poorly taught, or they do not learn well on their own, or they are not able to properly manage such systems. Most likely, these are US-made Patriot systems, or European air defense systems — most likely French ones. There will be an answer to this in a few days," Putin stressed.
He said it was obvious that the missiles that shot down the Russian Il-76 aircraft in the Belgorod region were launched from Kiev-controlled territories.
"I do not know if they did it on purpose or by mistake, thoughtlessly, but it is obvious that they did it... because two missile launches were recorded from territories controlled by the Kiev regime," Putin said.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine knew that their prisoners of war on board the Russian Il-76 aircraft, the president noted.
"The whole Kiev regime today is based on crimes that are committed on a daily basis. Including in relation to their own citizens... Our Il-76 plane was shot down with their own military personnel... The [Ukrainian] Main Intelligence Directorate knew that we were transporting military personnel there, 65 people, with planned 190 in total, as far as I remember. And knowing this, they struck the plane," Putin said.
Commenting on the ongoing investigation of the IL-76 aircraft crash in Russia's Belgorod Region, he stated that its results will be made public "to the maximum" so that Ukrainians could find out what happened.
"There are black boxes there, everything will be collected and shown. I will ask the Investigative Committee to make all the circumstances of this crime public. So the people in Ukraine can also find out what really happened," Putin pointed out.
On Wednesday, the Il-76 transport aircraft with 65 Ukrainian PoWs being transported for exchange crashed in Russia's Belgorod Region, the Russian Ministry of Defense said. All the PoWs, along with six crew members and three accompanying persons on board died. Russian Ministry accused the Ukrainian forces of downing the plane.
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