Another tragedy has occurred in Russia’s 700-day-old war of aggression against Ukraine – one with many mysteries. Moscow claims Ukraine shot down its own people. The overview:
A Russian military transport plane crashed on the border with Ukraine on Wednesday, according to the Moscow Defense Ministry. All 74 occupants of the Ilyushin Il-76 were killed, the ministry said. It accused Ukraine of shooting down the plane. The Moscow military spread the version that 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board. They should have been flown to a prisoner exchange. There were also six crew members and three accompanying persons on the plane.
There was no independent information as to who or what the plane was transporting. The crash was confirmed by the Kiev side. Ukraine did not comment on possible prisoners on the plane. However, according to a report in Ukrayinska Pravda in Kiev, it was confirmed that a prisoner exchange was planned. The news portal relied on its own sources. A video is circulating on social media that is said to show the moment of the crash. A detonation can be seen at a great distance, after which a huge black-gray cloud rises into the sky.
Ukraine has been fending off a large-scale Russian invasion for almost two years – this Wednesday marks the 700th day since the invasion. The country is dependent on foreign arms aid. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on European countries to do more. “The contributions that the European countries have so far planned for 2024 are not yet large enough,” Scholz told the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”. According to Ukrainian information, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico promised not to block billions in planned aid from the European Union for Ukraine during a visit to western Ukraine.
A shot down by Western anti-aircraft defenses?
The Ilyushin was shot down by Ukraine with Western anti-aircraft weapons, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The head of the Defense Committee in the Russian Parliament, Andrei Kartapolov, also made a similar statement in Moscow. Conflicting information came from Kiev. Information about a shooting was removed from an initial report by Ukrayinska Pravda. It was said that the Ukrainian military suspected that the plane was carrying supplies of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
Then the Interfax Ukraina agency, citing military sources, reported that a plane had been shot down – but after it took off from Belgorod. According to Russian information, the crash site was near Jablonowo. This is located 50 kilometers northeast of Belgorod and about 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Where the military plane actually took off and where it was supposed to land was not disclosed.
According to Kartapolov, the military aircraft was brought down by three anti-aircraft missiles from either the US Patriot system or the German Iris-T system. The Russian Defense Ministry said that two rocket launches had been detected. The launch site was near Lipzy in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, about 100 kilometers from the crash site. Duma head Vyacheslav Volodin announced a submission to the Bundestag and the US Congress. Parliamentarians must be made aware of who they are helping with their arms deliveries, said Volodin.
At least the range of the Iris-T is officially less than the distance to the crash site. Experts also doubt that Ukraine has set up the expensive anti-aircraft systems right on the border, where they are easy for Russia to combat. It was also doubted that the prisoners were only guarded by three men.
Did Ukraine know?
Kartapolov made serious allegations against Ukraine. “The Ukrainian leadership was well aware of the planned prisoner exchange and was informed about how the prisoners would be transported,” he said. He did not provide any evidence. A second Il-76 plane with 80 prisoners on board turned around after being shot down. In total there was supposed to be an exchange of 192 prisoners, which has now failed.
The Ukrainian Coordination Staff for Prisoners of War Affairs said it was collecting and analyzing all information. Citizens should wait for official notifications. The Russian opposition media “The Insider” quoted an unnamed source as saying that transport flights for prisoner exchanges are usually announced to ensure a ceasefire. This might not have happened this time.
Kyiv confirms failed prisoner exchange
Early in the evening, Ukraine confirmed that an exchange of prisoners of war had actually been planned for Wednesday. “A prisoner exchange was supposed to have taken place today, but it didn’t take place,” Ukrainian military intelligence told HUR. Kiev did not confirm the version from Moscow that the Ukrainian prisoners were on board the crashed Russian plane and are now dead. Instead, the statement said: “We currently have no reliable and comprehensive information about who exactly and how many were on board the aircraft.”
For its part, Ukraine complied with all agreements and brought the Russian soldiers to the exchange site on time, the secret service said. It continued: “According to the agreement, the Russian side had to ensure the safety of our defenders. At the same time, the Ukrainian side was not informed about the need to ensure the safety of the airspace in the area around the city of Belgorod in a certain period, as in has been done several times in the past.”
The fact that the Ukrainian side was not informed this time about the exact Russian means of transport “could indicate deliberate actions by Russia aimed at endangering the lives and safety of prisoners,” the Ukrainian authority wrote. Russian state media interpreted the announcement as indirect confirmation that the Ukrainians had shot down the plane with their own soldiers on board. However, there is no official confirmation from Kiev.
Difficult partner Fico in Ukraine
When it comes to supporting Ukraine, Slovakia wants to support the multi-year EU aid program worth 50 billion euros. The Slovakian Prime Minister Fico made a corresponding promise at a meeting in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. In addition, the Slovak government – as previously assured – will not hinder Ukrainian arms purchases from private companies.
Since the change of government in Bratislava three months ago, relations between neighboring countries have been considered tense. Most recently, the left-wing nationalist Fico demanded that a quick way out of the war should be sought, which was also in the interests of Ukraine. This is the only way to prevent there being more deaths and for Russia to gain an advantage from the further course of the war. Ukraine, on the other hand, wants to liberate all areas occupied by Russia. Fico also rejects Ukraine’s hoped-for accession to NATO.
Scholz wants more European aid for Ukraine
“Europe needs to discuss what each country can contribute so that we can significantly expand support,” said Scholz in the “Zeit” interview. Ukraine must be able to defend its country. “And this must not fail due to a lack of air defense, artillery, tanks or ammunition.”
When asked whether he was disappointed with the other Europeans, Scholz said: “Well, I’m rather irritated that in Germany I constantly have to face criticism that the government is doing too little and being too hesitant. We’re doing more than that all other EU states, much more.” Germany is currently mobilizing more than half of the known arms aid for Ukraine in Europe.