Russia and Ukraine traded accusations Thursday over the crash of a military transport plane that Moscow said was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war and was shot down by Kyiv’s forces, another heated episode in the information war that has been a feature of the conflict. Though investigators reportedly found the flight recorders a day after Wednesday’s crash, there was little hope that the circumstances would be clarified in a war where both sides have often used accusations to sway opinion at home and abroad.
Quick Read
- Military Plane Crash Accusations: Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations over the crash of a Russian military transport plane carrying Ukrainian POWs, shot down according to Russia by Kyiv’s forces.
- Uncertainty Over Crash Details: Investigators found flight recorders, but both sides’ conflicting claims make clarifying circumstances difficult.
- Il-76 Crash in Russia: The plane crashed in Russia, reportedly killing all 74 onboard, including 65 POWs, 6 crew members, and 3 Russian servicemen.
- Lack of Evidence for Claims: Neither Russia nor Ukraine provided evidence for their accusations; the actual details of the crash remain unverified.
- Russia Opens Criminal Probe: Russia alleges Kyiv downed the plane with missiles and opened a terrorist act investigation.
- Ukraine’s Response: Ukraine casts doubt on POW presence on the plane and suggests it might have posed a threat.
- Ukrainian Military’s Position: Ukraine stated it would target Russian military planes suspected of missile delivery, especially near the border.
- Questioning Prisoner Exchange: Ukrainian officials note the absence of Russian requests for safe airspace, typically done during prisoner exchanges.
- Allegations of Propaganda: Ukraine accuses Russia of disseminating false information to discredit them internationally.
- Cancelled Prisoner Exchange: A planned exchange was reportedly called off; Ukraine pushes for an international investigation.
- U.N. Security Council Meeting: Russia requested an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting following the crash.
- Access to Crash Site: Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman requests international expert access to the site, asserting Ukraine has nothing to hide.
- Stalemate in Conflict: The front line remains static after two years of conflict, with both sides focusing on long-range strikes.
- Future of POW Exchanges Uncertain: Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman expresses uncertainty over future exchanges with Russia.
- Russia’s Commitment to Prisoner Exchange: Russian official vows to continue prisoner exchanges despite the crash.
- Cyberattacks in Ukraine: Naftogaz and other Ukrainian entities report technical failures and cyberattacks, affecting company operations.
The Associated Press has the story:
Moscow & Kyiv trade accusations over fatal plane crash that involved Ukrainian POWs
Newslooks- (AP)
Russia and Ukraine traded accusations Thursday over the crash of a military transport plane that Moscow said was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war and was shot down by Kyiv’s forces, another heated episode in the information war that has been a feature of the conflict.
Though investigators reportedly found the flight recorders a day after Wednesday’s crash, there was little hope that the circumstances would be clarified in a war where both sides have often used accusations to sway opinion at home and abroad.
The Il-76 crashed in a huge ball of fire in a rural area of Russia, and authorities there said all 74 people on board, including 65 POWs, six crew members and three Russian servicemen, were killed.
The crash triggered a spate of claims and counterclaims, but neither side offered evidence for their accusations, and The Associated Press could not independently confirm who was aboard or how the plane was downed.
Russia alleged that Kyiv shot down the plane with two missiles and said the prisoners of war were headed for an exchange. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described it as “a totally monstrous act.” Russia’s top investigative agency, known as the Investigative Committee, opened a criminal probe Thursday on charges that the crash was a terrorist act.
Ukraine responded by casting doubt on the fact that POWs were aboard and putting forward their own theories, including implying that the plane may have posed a threat.
Without mentioning the crash, the general staff of the Ukrainian military said the country would target any Russian military transport plane believed to be delivering missiles, especially near the border.
Ukrainian officials have noted that Moscow did not ask for any specific airspace to be kept safe for a certain length of time, as it has in past prisoner exchanges.
Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukraine’s air force commander, alleged that “rampant Russian propaganda is directing a fake stream of information to the international audience, attempting to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the global community.”
Ukrainian officials confirmed that a prisoner exchange was due to happen Wednesday. But they said it was called off. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would push for an international investigation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, which was expected to take place Thursday afternoon in New York.
The discovery of the transport plane’s flight recorders was reported Thursday by the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, citing emergency services.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, demanded access to the crash site for international experts and said Ukraine is ready to provide information.
“We definitely don’t have anything to hide,” he told AP reporters.
As the conflict approaches the two-year mark, the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line has been largely static amid a second winter of fighting. With both sides seeking to replenish their weapons stockpiles, the war recently has focused on long-range strikes.
Earlier this month, in a significant blow to the Kremlin’s forces, the Ukrainian air force claimed to have shot down a Russian early warning and control plane that can spot targets up to 650 kilometers (400 miles) away and a key command center aircraft that relays information to troops on the ground.
Lubinets said he could not predict how the crash would affect future POW exchanges.
“My experience is that you can never be sure of anything when you are negotiating something with the Russian side,” he said.
Andrei Kartapolov, head of the defense affairs committee in the lower house of the Russian parliament, said Russia would continue exchanging prisoners despite the crash.
“We can’t abandon our boys and so we will speak to the devil himself to get them out,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s largest oil and gas company, Naftogaz, said Thursday that one of its data centers had come under a large-scale cyberattack that shut down the company’s websites and call centers.
Ukraine’s national postal service, Ukrposhta, and the State Service for Transport Safety each also reported technical failures. But neither specified if they were the result of cyberattacks.
