The soldiers purportedly transported by Russia in an IL-76 aircraft on January 24 were not part of the exchange — Defence Intelligence of Ukraine

The Ukrainian servicemen, supposedly transported by Russia in an IL-76 aircraft on January 24, were notably absent during the exchange on January 31, as reported by Andriy Yusov, representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in a statement to Suspilne.

«The individuals listed for the exchange, initially scheduled for January 24 but canceled due to the IL-76 aircraft crash, were not among those returned on January 31», — Yusov clarified

Ukraine had initially planned to exchange 65 soldiers based on the list published by Russia on the day of the IL-76 crash. However, due to the lack of reliable and comprehensive information about the actual occupants of the aircraft, the exchange did not include the expected individuals.

Recalling the events, on January 24, an IL-76 military aircraft crashed in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation, with some sources suggesting it was carrying missiles for the S-300 air defence system.

Following the incident, Russian media outlets disseminated statements by Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian State Duma Defence Committee, claiming the presence of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war on the IL-76 for an exchange. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and the Coordination Headquarters initiated investigations into the situation.

Hours after the IL-76 crash, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces hinted that the aircraft was a military target carrying ammunition for the Russian army. The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine clarified that the scheduled exchange on January 24 did not occur, but they lacked information on the presence of Ukrainian prisoners on board.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy canceled his planned visits to the regions pending clarification of the circumstances surrounding the crash of the Russian IL-76 in the Belgorod region.