Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of downing a Russian military aircraft with 65 prisoners of war (POWs) on board. The incident occurred near the Ukrainian border in the Belgorod region. Putin alleges that the Ukrainian air defense was responsible for shooting down the plane. He also claimed that Ukrainian officials were aware of the POWs on board, although he did not provide evidence to support his claims.
This is the first public statement from Putin regarding the incident, as he suggests the involvement of the U.S. or European air defense systems in the downing of the plane. He promised to provide more detailed information in the coming days.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has called for both internal and international investigations into the incident. He announced that Ukraine’s military and intelligence chiefs are currently investigating the matter.
Moscow reported that the flight was carrying 65 Ukrainian POWs for a prisoner swap, along with nine Russians. Ukrainian Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov urged caution in drawing “premature conclusions” about the incident.
This incident follows previous similar occurrences involving Russian aircraft near the Ukraine border. The Ukrainian military has yet to confirm firing at the plane.
The crash comes at a time of escalating tensions between Russia and the West, fueled by the prospect of seizing assets to support Ukraine. This incident has the potential to further strain the relationship between the two nations, leading to increased tensions and potential retaliatory actions.
Additionally, the crash occurred against the backdrop of reports indicating a shortage of ammunition for Ukrainian soldiers, which has been attributed to insufficient U.S. funding.
It is important to note that the information in this article was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
