Putin says 'obviously' Ukraine shot army plane carrying war prisoners
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (Jan 26) said it was "obvious" that the Russian IL-76 military transport plane, which was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, was shot down by Ukraine over the border region of Belgorod this week.
As per claims made by Moscow, the plane was flying to the region before the prisoner swap which was to take place on Wednesday (Jan 24) when it was hit by anti-aircraft missiles. It saidthere were 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war present inside the aircraft.
Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied shooting the plane, however, Kyivhashave been questioning if the prisoners were really on board.
"I don't know whether they did it on purpose or thoughtlessly, but it is obvious that they did it," said Putin, while speaking to student soldiers in his first reaction to the plane crash.
Ukraine aware of Russia's plan to transfer prisoners, alleges Putin
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
He further alleged Ukraine was aware of how Russia was planning to shift the prisoners when they hit the plane, an accusation which has been fiercely disputed by Kyiv.
"The main intelligence department of the Ukrainian army knew that we were taking 65 servicemen there. And knowing about it, they struck this aircraft. In any case, it is a crime," he said.
Meanwhile, criminal investigations have been opened by Kyiv and Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed for an international probe.
Watch:Russia-Ukraine war | UK offers cruise-missile swap to Germany to aid Ukraine
Ukrainian officials have confirmed that a prisoner exchange was set to take place but have argued that they were not informed about soldiers being transported to the border by plane.
The Il-76 was shot down from the sky and turned into a fireball, after crashing in a rural area of Russia on Wednesday, in which 74 people were killed on board, said Russian authorities.
The investigators, who were carrying out a search operation at the site of the military transport plane crash, had also found the flight recorders, as per media reports.
Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)