The start of an investigation into yesterday Russian military plane crash in the border region of Belgorod, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Thursday (25/1). At the same time Moscow accusing Kiev of shooting it down while Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board.
“The investigation is being conducted under Article 438 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code (violation of the laws and customs of war),” the SBU said, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he blamed Moscow that he is “playing” with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners.
“The SBU is taking steps to clarify the circumstances of the disaster“, he added in a statement.
Meanwhile, Russian MP Andrei Kartapalov, quoted by the Interfax news agency, said that Russia and Ukraine they will continue prisoner exchanges despite the downing of a Russian military plane.
The Russian MP said that “Russia will even converse with the devil” in order to bring back its captured soldiers, according to Interfax.
Moscow accuses Kiev of shooting down the plane, which it said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukraine did not immediately confirm that it had shot it down and disputed key points of Moscow's narrative.
Video from the moment of the plane crash
Andriy Kartapolov also said, as reported by the Athens News Agency, citing AFP and Reuters, that Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service was alerted 15 minutes before the Russian plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war entered the area where it was shot down by Ukraine.
At the same time, Kartapolov, who is the head of the defense committee of the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, and is a general of the with close ties to the defense ministry, said GUR had confirmed to the Russian side that it had received notification of the incoming plane.
GUR said on Wednesday it had not been told how Russia would bring the prisoners to the handover point and said Ukraine had not been asked to ensure the security of the airspace around Belgorod unlike in previous prisoner exchanges.
Kartapolov's statements were made public by his United Russia party.
Source: News Beast
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