Russia accuses Kyiv of shooting down plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners for swap
Defense Ministry says all people on board dead, terms incident 'terrorist attack'
MOSCOW
A Russian military plane en route to Ukraine for a prisoner exchange was shot down by Ukrainian armed forces in the region of Belgorod, Moscow claimed on Wednesday.
"There were 65 captured servicemen of the armed forces of Ukraine on board, 6 crew members of the aircraft and 3 escorts. The crew and all passengers of the plane were killed," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry called the incident "a terrorist attack" organized with the goal of accusing Russia of killing Ukrainian servicemen.
"The aircraft was destroyed by the armed forces of Ukraine from the village of Liptsy, Kharkiv region, using an anti-aircraft missile system. Radar facilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces recorded the launch of two Ukrainian missiles," it said.
The ministry emphasized that the Ukrainian authorities were "well aware of the planned transportation" with the purpose of further exchange.
"According to the agreement reached earlier, this event was to take place in the afternoon at the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the Russian-Ukrainian border. ... By committing this terrorist act, the Ukrainian leadership showed its true face – it neglected the lives of its citizens," it stressed.
In a later statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the incident demonstrated Ukraine's "inability to negotiate," adding that Ukraine's rhetoric on the incident changed after it was revealed that the plane was carrying Ukrainian military personnel sent for a prisoner exchange.
"We strongly condemn the terrorist act of the Kyiv regime in the Belgorod region. All persons involved in it, including the organizers and perpetrators from among the Ukrainian military and civilian officials, will be identified and will suffer inevitable, well-deserved punishment in accordance with Russian legislation," it said.
It noted that the incident revealed the Ukrainian government's "criminal nature" and that they perceive people as “consumables” and "kill them at the behest of Western masters and with Western-supplied weapons."
*Burc Eruygur contributed to this story from Istanbul
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