A military plane crash in Russia, allegedly downed by Ukraine, has sparked accusations and a call for a UN investigation.
Russia claims 65 Ukrainian soldiers were on board, while Ukraine questions key details and demands an international probe.
The investigative committee said, “Fragmented remains of people were found, as well as the flight recorders of the aircraft, which were sent for decoding,”
Ukraine’s SBU security service is investigating “violations of the laws and customs of war”.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wrote in a statement, “We will not make any comments or speculations at this stage, until facts are established.”
Both sides blame each other, with Russia accusing Ukraine of sacrificing its troops and Ukraine denying foreknowledge of the plane’s route.
Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy said, “All of the information that we have today shows that we are dealing with a premeditated, thought-through crime.”
He claimed Ukraine’s leaders “knew the route very well, knew about the way the soldiers were going to be transported to the place of exchange”.
Ukraine’s deputy ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn said, “Ukraine was not informed about the number of vehicles, roads and means of transportation of the captives”.
“This alone may constitute intentional actions by Russia to endanger the lives and safety of the prisoners,” she continued.
President Zelensky has called for an international investigation, while Russia has not provided evidence of the soldiers on board.
Additionally, Ukraine has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
