Russian IL-76 crash: Lubinets appeals to the Red Cross

The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, has appealed to the Red Cross to ascertain whether Russia reported the transfer of prisoners of war via an IL-76 military transport aircraft.

Lubinets emphasized that the Russian side should have informed the International Committee of the Red Cross about the transfer of prisoners of war.

«I am 99 percent convinced that they did not inform anyone because they never do this, just as they violate other norms of the Geneva Convention», — the ombudsman stated on Radio Liberty.

The Ukrainian side has not yet received official lists of prisoners who, according to the Russians, allegedly died on board the plane. The list published by propagandists contains many inaccuracies.

On the afternoon of January 24, an IL-76 military aircraft crashed in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation. Some sources reported that the plane was carrying missiles for the S-300 air defense system.

Following the downing of the Russian IL-76, several Russian media outlets reported statements by the head of the Russian State Duma Defence Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, claiming that it allegedly contained dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war being transported for exchange. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and the Coordination Headquarters stated that they were investigating the situation.

A few hours after the news of the downing of the IL-76, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces released a statement hinting that the aircraft was a military target and was carrying ammunition for the Russian army. The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stated that the exchange scheduled for January 24 did not take place but noted that it had no information on whether Ukrainian prisoners were on board.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy canceled his planned trips to the regions until the circumstances of the crash of the Russian IL-76 in the Belgorod region are clarified.