Il-76 catastrophe in Russia: what really happened and whether Ukrainians were captured on board

Initially, Russian anonymous telegram channels were announced, promptly outlining the video, later state agencies with reference to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. At the same time, a number of Ukrainian media, mentioning its sources, reported that the IL-76 washing is the work of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The aircraft transported the missiles to the C-300 complexes, from which the Russians fireting Kharkiv and the region.

Subsequently, the Russians added that 65 prisoners of Ukrainian servicemen who were transported to the Belgorod region for exchange, as well as six crew members and three attendants, were allegedly on board the aircraft. According to this plane, according to the Russian Federation, there was another, with another 80 Ukrainian servicemen - he turned and flew in the opposite direction.

Information on prisoners of war on board was immediately commented at the Coordinating Staff on the management of prisoners of war (Khtab). It was reported that the cortical and other profile structures collect and analyze information and were asked to refrain from disseminating unverified information. "The enemy actively carries out information operations against Ukraine, which aims to destabilize Ukrainian society," - said there.

In the morning, closed telegrams, which usually discuss the issue of liberation of Ukrainian prisoners, released the traditional message for such a day in Ukrainian: "All the nice news" and added the flag of Ukraine. This meant that prisoners of war could be exchanged today. In addition, earlier the Ukrainian side also stated that Ukraine has finally managed to unlock the process of negotiation.

That is why the first in 2024 took place on January 3, then, according to official data, 230 military and civilians. Also in January, at least one exchange was planned. The journalist of the media initiative for human rights Maria Klimik, who explores the issue of returning Ukrainian prisoners of war, says, if Russia has agreed to return Ukrainians, then it usually collects them in different places of maintenance and territory of the Russian Federation and adds those who are in occupation.

The first, as a rule, transports aircraft, because the colonies where captives are scattered throughout Russia. "From the testimony of Ukrainian servicemen released from captivity, their territory of Russia was often transported by planes - both to the stage, that is, from the colony to the colony and the exchange. Some mention" AN ", someone -" Il. " So on the eve of exchanges one aircraft flew from the airfield at the airfield and collected prisoners.

That is, one aircraft carried out several landings before arrive . Klimik quotes from the testimony of the military. One of them, for example, recalls that he was transported from the occupied Crimea to Kursk, and others were taken to exchange. She quotes the witness: "We are loaded in IL-76, I was a paratrooper, I distinguish that for the plane. The military police are wrapping our eyes, the plane is flying, I fly. " IL-76 is a Soviet and Russian military transport aircraft.

It has been operated since 1975, intended for transportation of equipment and cargoes of various purposes. It is possible to collect new units and repair old Russia on its own in its territory, which, in particular, explains active use. Military expert Mikhail Zhirokhov also mentions this in conversation with focus. "Such aircraft fly regularly between the bases of the Naval Forces of the Russian Federation, for example, once or twice a week.

Mostly at long distances, including in the countries of the Middle East and Africa. In Syria they were transporting personnel and equipment. The rule is transporting something from the point "A" to the point "B", and on the way take additional cargoes - spare parts, ammunition, people. To drive a plane, designed for 145 (in a bicochal variant And too one of him with 80th. Il-76 eats eight tons of fuel in only an hour. Although Russia is "rich country", but it is very expensive for it.

Therefore, it should have either a technique or a technique or a technique or a technique ammunition, "he says. But at the Belgorod airfield, such Russian planes fly regularly. The summer has long been closed for civilian air transport. "It is difficult to say how they guarantee safety-an airfield one hundred kilometers from the border with Ukraine. They put the SCR" shell "there,-says Mikhail Zhirokhov. The Russians claim: Il-76 flew from the Moscow Aerodrom of Chkalovsky to Belgorod.

Analyzed the video published by the Russians, they say that it is noticeable that the aircraft did not plant, but take off. But subsequently assumed that perhaps the aircraft was going to the second circle, that is, the first time could not sit down. "But it is difficult to talk about it because for each airport there is a special plan for landing, for the second circle. And each crew has this scheme, but it is information with restricted access.

Therefore, whether Yablonovo (a village in Belgorod region- focus) is on the way- it is not known, "- explains the analyst. If we assume that the plane fell and on his board were people, you can compare this event with a fall due to the sighting of the Il- aircraft sighting 76 at Lugansk Airport in 2014. Then the remains of the crew members and Ukrainian paratroopers were scattered within 1. 5-2 kilometers.

About the aircraft, there was only a plane's tail, engines, because they are from heat -resistant material. Unlike the case of a plane fall A-50, which happened on January 14, when no official comment was heard, now Russian officials and all kinds of experts have already decided to express their positions and comments in the first hours.

If summarized, Russia accused of the whipping aircraft Ukraine-they say, intentionally was Attacked by air defense from Ukraine (mentioned by the American MIM-104 Patriot or German Iris-T SLM) and heroned a crew that allegedly was able to remove the aircraft from the settlement in order to avoid greater casualties. "Russia says that Ukraine fired from the Kharkiv region.

These territories are constantly under Russian shelling, so it is difficult to imagine that we could drag something from the named. It is very risky, while Kharkiv is bombing almost daily. There were two air anxieties-above the border were SU-34, which were throwing missiles. Therefore, the presence of such serious systems that could be damaged can be excluded, "Zhirokhov says.

His colleague Roman Svitan draws the attention of journalists that during the flight of the aircraft, the Russians fired at Kharkiv with S-300 ZRK. Already on the evening of January 24, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed the information that the exchange of prisoners of war was planned on the day (January 24).

The Ministry also reported that during the exchange, the Ukrainian side did not inform the Ukrainian side about the need to guarantee the safety of airspace in the area of ​​Belgorod during a certain period of time, Ukraine was not informed about the number of vehicles, routes and forms of delivery of prisoners. It is known that the delivery of prisoners occurs both aviation and rail and road transport.

"According to the Russian side, this happened as a result of the knocking down of the Russian IL-76 aircraft, which was transported by our prisoners. We do not have reliable and comprehensive information about the one who was on board the aircraft and in what quantity. All arrangements for the preparation of the exchange. Russian prisoners of servicemen were delivered to the stipulated point for exchange where they were safe, "the intelligence message said.

This means that Ukraine, although accused of killing the plane of Russia, does not directly indicate that the Armed Forces are not involved in the event. Back in the afternoon, Russian propagandists published lists, indicating that they were allegedly names and names of those who were on the plane. Human rights activists have already partially analyzed them and found, for example, the name of the former prisoner, which was exchanged on January 3, 2024.

This list also contains up to two dozen names of the military who were on the eve of the exchange on January 3 in the Russian lists, but never returned to Ukraine. Most of them representatives of 24 separate mechanized brigade, which were held captive in the occupied territories of Luhansk region. Mariupol defenders are also mentioned. Representatives of the Azov regiment, according to preliminary information, are not available in the lists.

It is important that former prisoners of war are paying attention to the fact that Russian sources emphasize that only three guards were involved in the protection of 65 soldiers. This is objected to the liberated Ukrainians, who have already undergone the exchange procedure and in their experience have made sure that Russia allocates for the transportation of prisoners.