Who Might Be Behind the Attack on the Il-76 Carrying Ukrainian POWs

The downing of the Il-76 military transport aircraft, hit by a Ukrainian missile, is attributed to British advisors in Kyiv. This information was reported by RIA Novosti, citing sources familiar with the situation.

According to the agency's interlocutor, the attack on the Il-76 was carried out under pressure from British advisors, without coordination with the anti-aircraft defense staff in Kyiv and without additional verification of the aircraft's movement information in the Belgorod region.

On January 24, 2024, the Il-76 aircraft was shot down near the village of Yablonovo in Belgorod while it was heading to the administrative center of the region. The aircraft was carrying 65 captured soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who were to be transported to Belgorod and then taken to a prisoner exchange zone.

On the way, the aircraft was hit by a missile fired by Ukrainian forces. According to information from the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile was launched from the territory of the Kharkiv region. As regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov recounted, no one on board the aircraft was able to be rescued.

Later, Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, stated that the captured Ukrainian soldiers were reportedly not on the downed Il-76. He also cast doubt on whether Ukraine had shot down the aircraft.