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Ukrainian Commander Ordered Shootdown of IL-76 With 65 POWs — Russian Investigators

© Sputnik / Igor Kataev / Go to the mediabankA vehicle of the Russian Investigative Committee (File)
A vehicle of the Russian Investigative Committee (File) - Sputnik International, 1920, 05.07.2025
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - An IL-76 aircraft carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war was shot down in 2024 on the orders of the commander of the 138th anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, Mykola Dzyaman (added to Russia's list of terrorists and extremists), the Russian Investigative Committee told Sputnik.
"The meeting also discussed the investigation into the crash of the Russian Aerospace Forces' IL-76M aircraft in the Belgorod Region in 2024, which was carrying crew members and 65 Ukrainian military personnel. The plane was shot down by a missile from a Patriot air defense system," the Committee said.
The investigation, conducted in coordination with the Russian General Staff, determined that such systems are operated by the Ukrainian armed forces 138th anti-aircraft missile brigade. The servicepeople who fired on the aircraft were following illegal orders from brigade commander Dzyaman and higher-ranking Ukrainian armed forces officers, the investigative committee said.
The committee added that Dzyaman had been formally charged with terrorism and that an international warrant had been issued for his arrest. It also stated that efforts were ongoing to identify other accomplices, including senior Ukrainian defense ministry officials.
On January 24, 2024, Ukrainian forces downed Russia's IL-76 aircraft over the Belgorod Region, when it was transporting 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war for a planned prisoner exchange. All Ukrainian soldiers, three accompanying Russian officers, and six crew members were killed. DNA testing later confirmed their identities. Russia handed over the remains of the deceased POWs to Ukraine in December 2024.
Ilyushin Il-76 military transport airplane of the Russian air forces near the village of Yablonovo in Belgorod region, Russia - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.03.2024
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