Zelenskyy accuses Russia of ‘playing’ with POW lives, claims Kyiv will build ‘facts’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Kyiv will totally look into the situations all over the shooting down of a Russian military services transport plane allegedly carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on Wednesday.
“It is important to establish all obvious information. As considerably as achievable, presented that the plane crash transpired on Russian territory – outside of our regulate,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly deal with yesterday.
“It is noticeable that the Russians are actively playing with the life of Ukrainian prisoners, with the feelings of their kinfolk and with the emotions of our culture,” he mentioned.
RUSSIA, BELGOROD – JANUARY 24: Protection steps are taken right after Il-76 plane with 65 Ukrainian armed service prisoners on board crashed, as the entrances and exits are saved below command in the Belgorod, Russia on January 24, 2024. (Picture by Emil Leegunov/Anadolu by using Getty Visuals)
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
“‘Facts’ is the key word now,” he additional, indicating he had summoned major Ukrainian army and intelligence officers to report on the plane crash. He said he then tasked them with “finding out the fate of all prisoners” and “investigating all the conditions.”
Zelenskyy reported he’d instructed the overseas ministry to inform Ukraine’s allies of the matter. “Our point out will insist on an international investigation,” he claimed.
Russia accused Ukrainian forces of taking pictures down the airplane with Western-provided missiles on Wednesday, stating the airplane had been on its way to a prisoner exchange. Ukraine’s intelligence agency confirmed a prisoner trade had been scheduled but did not take place.
Safety measures are taken after Il-76 plane with 65 Ukrainian military services prisoners on board crashed, as the entrances and exits are saved beneath management in the Belgorod, Russia on January 24, 2024.
Emil Leegunov | Anadolu | Getty Images
Though not admitting duty for taking pictures down the airplane, the agency claimed the “Ukrainian side was not informed about the want to be certain the safety of the airspace in the location of the city of Belgorod in a certain period of time of time, as was regularly done in the earlier.”
It stated that it did not have “reliable and complete info about who accurately was on board the aircraft and how a lot of of them.”
Independently, Ukraine’s armed forces reported in a statement that they would carry on to “regulate the airspace to destroy the terrorist risk” of strikes crossing the border from Belgorod into Ukraine’s Kherson region.
— Holly Ellyatt
Ukraine army says it will go on to ‘control the airspace’ in Belgorod-Kharkiv way
This photograph taken on January 23, 2024 reveals a missile released from Russia’s Belgorod region traveling to Kharkiv, jap Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Vadym Bielikov | AFP | Getty Photos
Ukraine’s army mentioned Wednesday that it would go on to “manage the airspace” to lower the menace of missiles, “together with in the Belgorod-Kharkiv way,” soon after a Russian military services transport plane crashed in the Russian border region of Belgorod.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine consider all measures to secure Ukraine and Ukrainians,” the basic team explained in a assertion posted to Fb, according to an NBC translation.
It reported 16 persons had been killed in 19 Russian rocket assaults on the Kharkiv region, which borders Belgorod, in the final 7 days.
It also claimed that it monitored the launch factors of missiles and their supply logistics, in particular by way of armed forces plane, to minimize to threat of attack.
“The recorded intensity of shelling is specifically similar to the raise in the variety of navy transportation planes that have a short while ago been heading to the Belgorod airfield. Using this into account, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will go on to acquire measures to ruin usually means of shipping and delivery, command the airspace to demolish the terrorist risk, such as in the Belgorod-Kharkiv path,” the assertion continued.
It did not specially reference the plane which crashed previously Wednesday, which Russia claimed was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war and 9 Russians. All passengers died, Belgorod’s governor explained.
— Jenni Reid
Ukraine implies Russia unsuccessful to give facts on POW route immediately after aircraft downed
Ukraine on Wednesday advised Russia failed to notify it of the have to have to create a safe airspace following a navy plane was downed, reportedly when carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war ahead of an exchange.
Ukraine’s intelligence agency stated it still did not have reliable and comprehensive information about who was on board and the quantity of travellers.
Previously in the working day, Russia accused Ukraine of downing the plane, and said 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war and 9 Russians had been killed.
Ukraine confirmed an exchange of prisoners was scheduled for Wednesday but a person did not consider put.
“For its element, Ukraine has fulfilled all agreements for the planning of the exchange. The Russian captured servicemen have been sent in time to the designated exchange issue, where by they have been stored risk-free,” the Ukrainian intelligence section mentioned in a statement.
“In accordance to the agreements, the Russian aspect experienced to ensure the basic safety of our defenders. At the exact same time, the Ukrainian aspect was not informed about the need to make sure the basic safety of the airspace in the spot of the town of Belgorod in a selected period of time of time, as was regularly completed in the past.”
It also stated it was not informed about the range of cars, routes and sorts of shipping of the prisoners.
“This could suggest deliberate actions by Russia aimed at producing a menace to the existence and basic safety of prisoners,” it alleged.
Ukraine’s army individually claimed it experienced been concentrating on and would continue to focus on armed forces plane crossing the border from Russia’s Belgorod into Ukrainian Kharkiv following a slew of strikes on the area.
— Jenni Reid
Russian Ministry of Protection statement on airplane crash
Russia’s Ministry of Defense introduced a assertion on Telegram Wednesday, offering more aspects on the armed service plane crash in Belgorod in which it reported 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war died, as perfectly as 9 other Russians. Ukraine has not yet publicly commented on the crash.
Right here is the ministry’s assertion in total:
Today at 11:15 a.m., the Kiev regime fully commited a terrorist act as a result of which a Russian army transportation plane was shot down, as it was flying alongside the route Chkalovsky-Belgorod airfield to transport Ukrainian armed forces personnel for exchange.
The plane was wrecked by the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the place of Liptsy, Kharkov [Kharkiv] Location, with an anti-aircraft missile program. The radar products of the Russian Aerospace Forces noticed the start of two Ukrainian missiles. On board the aircraft ended up six crew associates, 65 Ukrainian army personnel for the exchange and 3 Russian military personnel accompanying them. The crew and all travellers of the plane were killed.
The Ukrainian management understood pretty very well that, according to set up exercise, these days Ukrainian military staff would be transported by military transport plane to the Belgorod airfield for exchange.
In accordance to the previously achieved settlement, this party was to acquire put in the afternoon at the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the Russian-Ukrainian border. And, yet, the Nazi Kiev routine took this stage, pursuing the intention to blame Russia for the destruction of the Ukrainian navy.
By committing this terrorist attack, the Ukrainian management has showed its real colors — it neglected the lives of its citizens.
Russia routinely and baselessly describes the federal government in Kyiv as a “Nazi regime” in buy to demonize its leadership and justify its invasion of Ukraine.
— Holly Ellyatt
Downed Russian aircraft was component of POW convoy, lawmaker suggests
A Russian lawmaker suggested that a Russian military services transportation plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war that was shot down over the Belgorod area Wednesday was part of a two-airplane convoy en route to a prisoner swap with Ukraine.
The Head of the Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov advised the RBC news company that the Ilyushin-76 navy transport plane was “shot down by 3 Patriot or IRIS-T missiles,” that experienced been provided to Ukraine’s armed forces by its Western allies.
That plane, he said, was adopted by an additional Il-76 with far more prisoners on board, Kartapolov explained. The next airplane was reportedly diverted.
“The second Il-76 airplane was flying upcoming, which was carrying about 80 far more prisoners of war they managed to change it around,” Kartapolov said.
“The Ukrainian leadership was properly aware of the impending trade and was knowledgeable of how the prisoners would be sent,” he reported throughout a speech in the Condition Duma, in accordance to a NBC News translation of his responses.
CNBC was not able to confirm the claims.
— Holly Ellyatt