It has been a year since Moscow accused Kiev of shooting down a Russian military plane carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukraine launched an investigation, but its findings have not yet been released, leaving questions about who was killed, and why.
The crash of an IL-76 transport plane in Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine began a series of shutdowns at a critical moment for Kiev, as it looks to Western countries to build up its depleted weapons stockpile. Lobbyed for aid.
Russian officials called it a “terrorist” act and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Ukrainian officials have not admitted or denied shooting down the plane, and said they could not confirm that Ukrainian prisoners were on board. U.S. officials later speculated that Ukrainian forces had used a U.S.-made Patriot missile to shoot it down, thinking the plane was loaded with Russian missiles and weapons.
“We have a lot of questions about the situation,” Sofia Soboleva, who believes her father was on the plane, said in a recent interview.
Families of the inmates are still waiting for answers, here’s what we know about the one-year accident.
Conflicting accounts
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on January 24, 2024 that one of its military transports was shot down en route to Belgorod for a prisoner exchange. It said the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war and that none survived the crash.
Initially, Ukraine asserted its right to target Russian military transport aircraft in the border area, which had been a staging ground for the 2022 offensive and has since been used to escalate attacks. At the time of the crash, deadly Russian missile strikes were pushing into Kharuk, just across the Ukrainian border, and Kiev stressed the need to deter the attacks.
Soon, though, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency hinted at the possibility of a tragic mistake, not directly admitting that Ukraine had shot down the plane but offering an explanation for how it might have happened. A Ukrainian official said the IL-76, which often carries cargo, was was previously used for the supply of ammunition and missiles, suggesting that it was a legitimate target.
The agency acknowledged that a prisoner exchange had been planned for January 24 – but said Russia had not warned Ukraine that the prisoners were being flown to Belgorod airport, as was the case with previous exchanges. was Russian officials disputed the account, saying the Ukrainian military had been informed.
The twisting claims underscored the persistent lack of clarity that has become a defining feature of the war. Both sides have pushed their preferred narratives through the nearly three years of fighting, and have been reluctant to show or admit setbacks.
Call for investigation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zilinsky called on his country’s intelligence agency to determine what happened and for an international investigation into the crash. He accused Russia of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, the feelings of their loved ones and the feelings of our society.”
Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency launched an investigation into the incident.
Russian officials said the plane crashed in a snowy field near a village in Kurochinsky district. No independent groups were able to visit the crash site. Ukraine requested that the Red Cross and the United Nations be granted access.
Satellite images and unverified Russian video captured what appears to be Crash site And debris An aircraft has been described in Russian territory, but it was not possible to identify the passengers from the imagery.
Ukrainian officials asked citizens for patience as they investigated Moscow’s claims.
Identification of victims
Even during bitter fighting, prisoner exchanges occurred regularly throughout the war. But Ukrainian authorities typically do not disclose to these families, even the names of those released before the exchange.
Russian officials did not identify the victims of the crash when they announced it. But name Of the 65 prisoners reportedly on board Shared on social media By the editor-in-chief of RT, the Russian state media broadcaster,
A few days later, the Ukrainian government agency that monitors prisoners of war Confirmed that there are names This list matched those who were to be transferred on the day of the accident. But the agency said it did not have evidence to confirm that the detainees were on board, or even that they were dead.
It was around that time, Sofia Soboleva said, that her family received a call from the military requesting a meeting. Ms Sobeleva’s father had been in Russian custody since March 2022 – shortly after the start of the war – and was on the list.
“They gathered us and explained the situation but did not answer any questions,” he said. Authorities promised to investigate “quickly,” he said, and asked relatives to submit DNA.
A pause in this case
The case fell from the headlines for months. The exchange of remains in early November was the first sign of a possible break.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that it was available to transfer the remains on November 8. Russia said the transfer included the remains of the 65 killed in the IL-76 collapse, but this claim could not be independently verified.
“The ICRC did not participate in the identification process,” the agency said in response to questions this week, adding that it was ready to assist authorities with technical assistance.
The family of the 65, who had set up a WhatsApp group, learned of the transfer and Ukrainian authorities said “time is needed for DNA expertise,” Ms Sobleeva said.
Outstanding questions
Ukraine’s general prosecutor and security service did not respond to The New York Times’ questions about the status of the investigation or whether any remains have been identified.
But there seems to be a bit of controversy over who shot down the plane.
Russia’s Defense Ministry had accused Ukrainian forces of launching a missile from the nearby Khoruk region of Ukraine that hit the plane. U.S. officials later described the incident as Ukraine using a Patriot air defense missile to shoot down the plane.
Although Ukraine has not formally claimed responsibility, Ms Soboleva said that was beside the point.
“Logically, we believe that Ukraine shot him down,” he said. Although “officially we have nothing.
What he’s less sure about is whether the family will ever have answers to their other questions — like how it happened, and why.
She described her father as a kind man with “golden hands” – able to fix anything that broke – who loved gardening.
“There was a lot of stress and tears, but I still can’t understand what happened,” Ms. Soboleva said on a recent evening.
“Now,” he added, “I just wear his black hat, so I feel mentally and physically warm.”
