Did Ukraine shoot down the Russian plane and kill its own plane? A Year Later, Not.

It’s been a year since Moscow accused Kiev of shooting down a Russian military plane carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukraine has launched an investigation but has yet to release its findings, leaving questions about who was killed and why.

The crash of an IL-76 transport plane in Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine has sparked a series of accusations at a delicate moment for Kiev to seek help from the West to replenish its depleted weapons stockpile.

Russian officials called it a “terrorist act” and called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Ukrainian officials neither admitted nor denied shot down the plane and said they could not confirm that there were Ukrainian prisoners on board. American officials then evaluated Ukrainian forces used a US-made Patriot missile to shoot down the plane, thinking it was carrying Russian missiles and ammunition, he said.

“We have a lot of questions about the situation,” Sofiya Sobolyeva, who believes her father was on the plane, said in a recent interview.

The families of the inmates are still waiting for answers, here’s what we know about the crash a year later.

Conflicting Accounts

Ministry of Defense of Russia He said on January 24, 2024 said that one of his military vehicles was shot down on his way to Belgoro to exchange prisoners. It was reported that there were 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on the plane and that no one survived the accident.

Russia has defended its right to target military transport aircraft in the border region, which was originally a training ground for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has since been used to stage attacks. At the time of the crash, deadly Russian missile strikes were hitting Kharkiv across the Ukrainian border, and Kiev has stressed the importance of preventing these attacks.

However, Ukraine’s military intelligence service soon hinted at the possibility of a tragic mistake, not directly admitting that Ukraine had shot down the plane, but instead offered an explanation for how it happened. One of the Ukrainian officials said that IL-76, which is often used to transport cargo used before delivery of ammunition and missiles, suggesting that it was a legitimate target.

The agency acknowledged that the exchange of prisoners was planned for January 24, but said that Russia had not warned Ukraine that the prisoners would be brought to Belgorod airport, as in previous exchanges. Russian officials objected to it His account said that the Ukrainian army had been notified.

The differing claims demonstrated the persistent lack of clarity that had become a defining feature of the war. Both sides have advanced their preferred narratives in the nearly three-year-long battle and are reluctant to reveal or admit failures.

It calls for investigation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on his country’s intelligence agency to determine what happened and launch an international investigation into the crash. He accused Russia of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, the feelings of their relatives and the emotions of our society.”

Ukraine’s internal intelligence agency has started investigations into the incident.

Russian officials said the plane crashed in a snowy field near a settlement in the Korochansky district. No independent group was able to visit the crash site; Ukraine has requested access to the Red Cross and the United Nations.

It captured what appeared to be satellite images and unverified Russian video crash site and debris Passengers could not be identified from the footage of an aircraft in the region described by Russia.

Ukrainian officials asked citizens for patience while investigating Moscow’s claims.

Identification of victims

Throughout the war, even during fierce battles, there were regular exchanges of prisoners. But the Ukrainian authorities usually don’t even tell familiesnames of persons to be disclosed prior to exchanges.

Russian officials have not disclosed the identity of the victims of the accident. But names It was claimed that there were 65 prisoners of war on board shared on the social network By the editor-in-chief of RT, Russia’s state media broadcaster

After a few days, the Ukrainian state agency that controlled the prisoners of war confirmed that they have names On the list, those to be replaced on the day of the accident were suitable. But the agency said that it does not have proof that those prisoners were on the plane, or even that they died.

According to Sofiya Sobolyeva, at that time her family received a phone call from the military and asked to meet. Ms Sobolyeva’s father had been in Russian captivity since March 2022 – shortly after the war began – and was on the list.

“They gathered us and explained the situation, but did not answer any questions,” he said. Authorities promised to investigate “soon” and asked relatives to provide DNA.

A break in the case

The case made headlines for months. The exchange of remains in early November was the first sign of a potential break.

The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that it participated in the handover of the remains on November 8. Russia said the transfer included the remains of 65 people killed in the downing of IL-76, but this claim could not be independently verified.

“The ICRC was not involved in the identification process,” the agency said in response to questions this week, saying it was ready to provide technical support to the authorities.

Ms. Sobolyeva said that the families of 65 people who created the “WhatsApp” group learned about the transfer and were told by the Ukrainian authorities that “time is needed for DNA examination.”

Outstanding questions

Ukraine’s attorney general and security services did not respond to The New York Times’ questions about the status of the investigation or whether any remains had been identified.

But there seems to be little dispute about who shot down the plane.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has accused Ukrainian forces of firing missiles that hit the plane from Ukraine’s nearby Kharkiv region. American officials gave information about the incident He later said that Ukraine used a Patriot air defense missile to shoot down the plane.

Although Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility, Ms. Sobolyeva said it doesn’t matter now.

“Logically, we understand that Ukraine shot him,” he said, although “officially, we have nothing.

What he’s less sure about is whether he’ll have answers to the families’ other questions — how it happened and why.

She described her father as a kind man with “hands of gold” – who could fix anything that broke – who loved gardening.

“There was a lot of stress and tears, but I still don’t understand what happened,” Ms. Sobolyeva said one evening recently.

“Now,” he added, “I just wear his black hat, so I feel warmer—both mentally and physically.”