Ukrainian military intelligence comments on Russian military plane crash, says Russia may have deliberately endangered lives of POWs

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) made its first official statement after a Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft crashed in the Korochansky District of Russia’s Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border. The GUR said that Ukraine fulfilled all its commitments on its part of a planned prisoner exchange and that Russian prisoners of war were delivered to the agreed location on time for the exchange.

The GUR said that the Russian side was responsible for guaranteeing the safety of the Ukrainian POWs:

The Ukrainian side was not made aware about the need to ensure the security of the airspace near the city of Belgorod during a specific period of time, as was repeatedly done in the past. Ukraine was not informed about the number of transport means, routes, and the way the prisoners would be delivered. This may indicate deliberate Russian actions aimed at endangering the lives and safety of the POWs.

The GUR added that landing a plane a few dozen kilometers from the war zone could not be safe and “must be discussed by both sides no matter what.”

The agency did not comment as to who was responsible for shooting down the plane.

We do our work for you and for the millions of people in Russia who want to know the truth. Support Meduza