Russia Emergency Services Say Found Missile Striking Parts in Outer Layer of Downed Il-76
15:53 GMT 25.01.2024 (Updated: 17:00 GMT 25.01.2024)
© Photo : Rosoboronexport
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Hundreds of entrance holes from the striking elements of a missile were found on the wreckage of the downed Il-76 military plane that crashed in Russia's Belgorod Region, the striking elements were also found in the fragments of the outer layer of the aircraft, a representative of the emergency services told Sputnik.
On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said that an Il-76 military transport plane with 65 Ukrainian PoWs being transported for exchange had crashed in the Belgorod Region. All the PoWs along with six crew members and three accompanying persons on board died.
The MoD accused the Ukrainian forces of downing the plane. Later, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry stated that its staff was not aware that Russia's Il-76 was transporting Ukrainian PoWs for a prisoner swap, but Ukrainian news portal Strana.ua reported that the ministry had confirmed a prisoner exchange between the parties was scheduled for Wednesday.
"During a detailed examination of the wreckage of the aircraft, hundreds of entrance holes from the striking elements of a missile were found," the representative said.
The striking elements were also found as "some got stuck in the outer layer, many pierced through it completely," the representative added.
Il-76 shootdown provoked by NATO to ‘burn bridges’ of communication between Russia and Ukraine
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) January 25, 2024
“I believe [the PoW-carrying Il-76 shootdown] was an operation prepared ahead of time. Because the Ukrainian air defense system fired without turning on its radar, that is, fired using… pic.twitter.com/UjRJqHSAr6
