Doubts, crossed accusations and two black boxes: what is known about the Russian military plane that crashed with 65 Ukrainian prisoners

In this war in Ukraine which is about to turn two years old at the rate of bombings and disinformation, the crash of a Russian military transport plane, with alleged 65 Ukrainian prisoners This Wednesday she is surrounded by questions and cross accusations. The discovery of the black boxes this Thursday could shed light if Moscow shares the information.

Next, what is known so far of the accident.

The Russian version

Russia announced Thursday that it had found the two black boxes of the military transport plane it accuses Ukraine of shooting down. killing all 74 passengers on board, among them 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were being transferred for a prisoner exchange.

Moscow called the shooting down of the plane carrying 74 passengers, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war transferred for a prisoner exchange, a “monstrous act”, according to Russia, which claims that the plane was shot down with two missiles of an air defense system located in the Kharkiv regionin north-eastern Ukraine.

Andrei Kartapolov, a Duma deputy and former Russian army general, stated that the plane had been shot down with missiles of American or German design and that He was not escorted by fighters because the flight had been agreed with Ukraine.

“The fact that the Ukrainians killed their prisoners, their citizens, who were supposed to return home practically within 24 hours, is obviously an absolutely monstrous act,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, quoted by Russian news agencies .

Russia says the plane was shot down 45 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, in Russia’s Belgorod region.

According to Russian authorities, everyone on board the plane, including Ukrainian prisoners of war, died in the crash.

The Ukrainian version

Kiev has confirmed neither its responsibility for the crash nor the presence of Ukrainian prisoners of war on board, casting doubt on some of Russia’s claims.

Ukraine wants an international investigation, Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Loubinets said this on television, adding that he will send letters to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. “According to my information, I cannot confirm that there were actually prisoners of war. We saw no sign that there were that many people on board,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said this in his daily video message broadcast on Wednesday evening More information was needed to clarify what happened. “It is clear that the Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, with the feelings of their families and with the emotions of our society,” she commented.

Regarding the alleged exchange of prisoners scheduled for Wednesday, which Russia alludes to, this was said by the Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR). had not been ordered to ensure safe airspaceas on previous occasions.

GUR’s comments were seen as a tacit acknowledgment that Ukraine shot down the plane of military transport, although he underlined it he had no reliable information about who was on board and warned that the incident could involve “planned and deliberate actions by Russia.”

The Ukrainian military stressed, without confirming that it had shot down the plane, that it would continue to destroy Russian transport planes carrying missiles intended to attack Ukraine.

List of names

Russian state media published a list of 65 names of Ukrainian soldiers who are believed to have been on board, along with their dates of birth. According to some Ukrainian media, in this list the names of prisoners who have already been exchanged appear.

UN Security Council meeting

This Thursday afternoon, at the request of Russia, the United Nations Security Council will meet, which aims to establish “the reasons for this criminal Ukrainian act”, in the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as six crew members and three Russian soldiers. The prisoner exchange was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at the border crossing, he added. According to the Ministry, Ukraine knew that a transport plane with prisoners would arrive at Belgorod airport.

What happened to the Russian military plane?

A video shared on social media showed a crashed plane followed by an explosion and fireball near the village of Yablonovo, 70 kilometers northeast of the city of Belgorod, at around 11am local time.

Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the plane crashed in a field near a residential area and all on board died.

The Ukrainian General Staff, quoted by the Ukrainska Pravda website, had initially stated that the plane carried missiles for Russian S-300 air defense systems. He made no mention of the prisoners of war.

No details on the people on board can be independently verified, but Ukrainian military intelligence said it was Russia’s responsibility “to ensure the safety of our defenders according to the agreements that have been reached.”

The black boxes of the Russian plane

Investigators found the plane’s black box, they said Thursday.

The discovery of the flight logs was reported by state news agency RIA Novosti, which cited emergency services.

However, it was not clear if it will help to clarify the circumstances of the accident and the accusations Strictly Russian. The war between Ukraine and Russia was characterized by mutual denunciations and denials, used as ammunition in an attempt to influence internal and external opinion.

As the conflict approaches its second anniversary, the front lines of fighting, which has 1,500 kilometers and runs from Russia to the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine passing through four partially occupied provinces of eastern and southern Ukraine, remained essentially static in the midst of a second winter of hostility.

With information from agencies, RFI and BBC News