24.01.2024, Moscow.
The exchange of Ukrainian prisoners of war who died in the Il-76 plane shot down by the Ukrainian army for the Russian army servicemen captured by the Ukrainian army should have taken place on the Russian-Ukrainian border at the Kolotilovka checkpoint, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry said on the agency’s website on January 24.
The press service said that according to the agreement reached earlier, the Russian side and the Ukrainian side were to exchange prisoners of war on the border of Belgorod region of Russia and Sumy region of Ukraine at the checkpoint “Kolotilovka”.
Earlier it was reported that the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Russian Il-76 military transport plane crashed while performing a routine flight in the skies over Belgorod Region. It was also reported that the plane, in addition to six crew members, was carrying 65 captured AFU servicemen and three escorts.
According to Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, everyone on board the plane was killed. Andrey Kartopolov, chairman of the State Duma’s defense committee, said the plane was shot down by the Ukrainian military, which fired three Patriot or IRIS-T surface-to-air missiles at it. According to Kartopolov, another plane with 80 prisoners on board was following the downed plane, but it received a command to turn around in time and take a different course.
It was also reported that the Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin gave the task to prepare an appeal to the US Congress and the Bundestag, as well as to analyze exactly what missiles and launchers were used to attack the plane.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Kiev had committed an act of insane barbarism by attacking Il-76, killing its own citizens.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
