Kyiv denies shooting down Russian plane carrying Ukrainian POWs
Ukraine has strongly denied the Russian accusation that it shot down a military transport plane that was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war to be exchanged with Russian servicemen. Ukraine has called for an international investigation into the incident, which killed all 74 people on board, according to Moscow.
The plane, an Ilyushin Il-76, crashed on Wednesday morning in the village of Yablonovo in Russia’s Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine. Russia claimed that the plane was hit by two missiles launched from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, and that it had evidence from its radar data. Ukraine said it had no information about the need to secure the airspace in the area, and that it was not informed about the prisoner swap.
Ukraine’s intelligence agency suggested that the plane was empty, except for its Russian crew, and that Moscow fabricated the story of the tragedy as a propaganda stunt. It said that only five bodies were delivered to the morgue in Belgorod, matching the number of the crew members. It also said that it did not have reliable and comprehensive information about who exactly was on board the plane, nor how many.
Russia uses plane crash to escalate information war
The plane crash has added more fuel to the information war that has been a feature of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which started in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. Since then, both sides have exchanged accusations, propaganda, and disinformation, often using social media and state-controlled media outlets.
Russia has used the plane crash to portray Ukraine as a terrorist state that kills its own people and violates human rights. It has also used the incident to justify its ongoing military aggression against Ukraine, which has intensified since February last year, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia has carried out hundreds of airstrikes, missile strikes, and drone attacks on Ukrainian targets, mostly in the capital Kyiv and the eastern city of Kharkiv.
Russia has also accused Ukraine of receiving military and financial support from the West, especially the US and NATO, and of being a puppet of the West. Russia has opposed Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO and the European Union, and has demanded that Ukraine respect its interests and influence in the region. Russia has also claimed that it is defending the rights and interests of the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukraine, who have faced discrimination and oppression from the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine fights back with air strikes and drone attacks
Ukraine has not remained passive in the face of Russia’s air superiority and aggression. Ukraine has fought back with its own air strikes and drone attacks, targeting Russian military facilities and infrastructure inside Russia and in the occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas. Ukraine has also received military and humanitarian aid from the West, including weapons, ammunition, and training.
Ukraine has claimed several successes in its air campaign, such as destroying a Russian warship, a gas terminal, an oil depot, and a radar detection plane. Ukraine has also said that it has shot down dozens of Russian drones and missiles, and that it has inflicted heavy casualties and damage on the Russian forces. Ukraine has also said that it has captured hundreds of Russian soldiers and mercenaries, and that it is ready to exchange them for its own prisoners of war.
Ukraine has also used the plane crash to highlight the plight of its POWs, who have been held in harsh conditions and tortured by the Russian side. Ukraine has said that it is committed to the humanitarian principles of the Geneva Conventions, and that it is willing to swap prisoners with Russia, as long as the process is transparent and fair. Ukraine has also called on the international community to pressure Russia to stop its aggression and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
