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Russia opened an investigation into the circumstances of the crash of its military plane, which was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners, while a representative in the Russian Parliament said that Moscow had sent an official warning to Ukrainian intelligence 15 minutes before the accident, which Kiev denied.
And it is held UN Security Council Thursday evening – an emergency session was held to discuss the incident at the request of Russia, while Ukraine – which did not deny or confirm that it shot down the plane – demanded an international investigation.
Moscow said that 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, were killed yesterday, Wednesday, when a Russian military transport plane crashed – as a result of being hit by Ukrainian missiles, according to the Russian account – in the province of Belgorod Near the border with Ukraine. Russia was transferring prisoners with the aim of exchanging them.
The Russian Investigative Service, which investigates major crimes, announced today in a statement that it had opened “a criminal investigation within the framework of a terrorist act following the Il-76 plane accident in the Belgorod region.”
On the other hand, a member of the Russian Parliament, Andrei Kartapolov, told his parliamentary colleagues, “The Ukrainian side received an official warning 15 minutes before the incident occurred. They were provided with all the necessary information, and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed that it had received this warning.”
Kartapolov’s statements contradict a statement by Ukrainian military intelligence that Russia did not inform it of the trip arrangements.
Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andrey Yusov said Thursday, in statements to Radio Svoboda, that Kiev did not receive a written or verbal request from Russia to refrain from launching attacks in the airspace where the plane fell.
He added that two other Russian military transport aircraft, Antonov An-26 and An-72, were also flying in the airspace at that time.
He was the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky He said – yesterday, Wednesday – that what happened must be clarified and the identity of the people on board the plane must be known, accusing Russia of “tampering with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners” and calling for an international investigation.
The Russian province of Belgorod is often attacked by Ukrainian missiles and drones due to its proximity to the border. Russia, for its part, has continued its bombing of Ukraine since it was launched the war In February 2022.
