The prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, initially set for Jan. 24, the day the IL-76 military transport aircraft crashed in Belgorod Oblast, would have been one of the largest over the full-scale war, said Ukrainian HUR military intelligence service spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, on national television on Jan. 26.

Yusov did not specify how many prisoners were supposed to be exchanged. Moscow has claimed that 65 soldiers were on board, but conflicting statements suggest others might have been involved.

Russia has not provided evidence to support its version of events. The UN has said it cannot determine whether there were Ukrainian prisoners of war on board, said Yusov.

“We can state that this is a military aircraft that has been used to transport Russian weapons and enemy personnel on several occasions, and Russia did not inform Ukraine that Ukrainian prisoners of war would be transported by this aircraft,” he said.

Read also: FSB prevents Russian VIPs from boarding doomed Il-76 flight & other holes in Russia’s narrative

Yusov called the creation of an international commission logical, arguing that only through examining the plane, its black boxes, and the crash site could the cause of the incident be determined. However, Russia opposes this proposal and refuses entry to its territory.

Russian propagandists earlier said that the black boxes were found at the crash site of the IL-76 and taken to a military laboratory in Moscow.

A Russian IL-76 military transport plane crashed in Belgorod Oblast on Jan. 24. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 65 Ukrainian POWs were on board heading to Belgorod Oblast for a prisoner exchange, accusing Ukraine of taking down the plane.

It cannot currently be confirmed that Ukrainian military downed a Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft on the morning of Jan. 24, as well as information about Ukrainian POWs being on board, Ukraine’s MoD told NV.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (KSHPPV) and the Ombudsman are also conducting an analysis.

Read also: Russian VIPs were denied boarding crashed IL-76 plane at the last moment — Ukrainian intelligence

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the exchange of POWs with Russian had been due to take place on Jan. 24.

The plane was carrying missiles for Russia’s S-300 air defense systems, Ukraine’s General Staff told NV’s sister publication, Ukrainska Pravda.

The plane was reportedly shot down on takeoff, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on Jan. 24, citing a source close to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

Ukraine tracks the launch sites of Russian missiles and the logistics of their delivery, especially by military transport aircraft, and will “continue to take measures to destroy delivery planes and control the airspace to destroy the terrorist threat,” the General Staff said. There was no information about who was on board the plane, the HUR reported later.

Ukraine was preparing for a prisoner exchange and was safely delivering Russian POWs to the exchange site. The safety of the Ukrainian defenders was to be guaranteed by the Russian side.

Read also: Russia may have used Ukrainian POWs as human shields in IL-76 plane — HUR

The Russians did not warn Ukraine about the need to secure the airspace near Belgorod, as they had done before. Ukraine was also not informed about the form of delivery of the prisoners, the route, or the number of vehicles.

Russia uses IL-76s to deliver ammunition to the front several times a day and these planes fly a “proven route”, NV sources in Ukraine’s Air Force said.

The fate of the prisoners is currently being determined by HUR and the SBU is investigating all the circumstances, President Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has also been instructed to share all the data it has with Ukraine’s partners. Kyiv is insisting on an international investigation, Zelenskyy said.

The SBU has opened a criminal investigation into the IL-76 crash.

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine