In a recent statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that a Russian military plane crashed near the Ukraine border due to being shot down by Ukrainian air defenses on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Russia’s Belgorod region, resulting in the death of 74 individuals, including 65 Ukrainian soldiers who were reportedly on their way to a prisoner exchange with Russia. Despite the serious accusations, Moscow has not provided concrete evidence to support its claims.
Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the plane crash and has questioned the accuracy of Moscow’s account regarding the passengers and the circumstances leading to the incident. President Putin, in his first televised comments on the crash, expressed uncertainty about whether the downing was intentional or accidental. However, he emphasized that regardless of the motive, the act itself was deemed a crime.
President Putin dismissed the possibility of the Russian military shooting down its own plane, citing the presence of ‘friend or foe’ systems in their air defense systems. These systems are designed to prevent accidental attacks on their own aircraft. He suggested that the use of missiles, which he believes to be of American or French origin, may have been responsible for the downing. Putin stated that a conclusive determination on the missile’s origin would be made within the next two to three days.
Ukraine has challenged Russia’s assertion that it had received advance warning about the flight carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war over the specified region. Additionally, Ukraine questioned the accuracy of a list published by Russian media, which claimed to identify the 65 Ukrainian individuals on the ill-fated aircraft. The ongoing dispute has escalated tensions between the two nations, as the international community closely watches developments in the aftermath of this tragic incident.
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