Budanov on downing of Il-76: Neither side can answer for sure what happened

Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said this on the air of the 'United News' telethon, Ukrinform reported.

"Unfortunately, we must state that neither side can fully answer what happened there. Russia's position is clear, to blame Ukraine for everything, even though several facts are incomprehensible for such a position. First of all, they did not show the fields covered with bodies, as they should have done to blame Ukraine as much as possible, but even this is not available. That is, the situation is quite unclear to the end," Budanov said.

As reported, according to Russian Telegram channels, on January 24, an Il-76 aircraft, which is used to transport military equipment and troops, crashed in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.

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Sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces noted that the plane was carrying missiles for the S-300 air defense system, which the Russians use for massive shelling of Kharkiv and other border regions of Ukraine.

 The Russian Defense Ministry claims there were "65 captured Ukrainian servicemen," six crew members, and three escorts on the plane.

A representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Andrii Yusov, said that the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine was supposed to occur on January 24. According to him, the information released by the Russian side that the prisoners of war could have been in the Il-76 plane that crashed in the Belgorod region is being checked.

According to military expert Roman Svitan, the Il-76 was most likely shot down by a Russian S-300 missile that was aimed at Kharkiv.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine will insist on an international investigation into the crash of a Russian Il-76 aircraft in the Belgorod region of Russia.

Yusov said that Russia does not agree to an international investigation into the crash of the Il-76 military aircraft on January 24.