Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff issues a statement amid the downing of the Russian IL-76
The Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to take measures to destroy delivery vehicles and control the airspace to avoid a terrorist threat, particularly in the Belgorod-Kharkiv direction.
This was stated in a statement by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on January 24 after numerous unconfirmed reports of the downing of a Russian Il-76 transport plane allegedly carrying Ukrainian prisoners.
Statement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the downing of the IL-76
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine explained that over the past week alone, Russian troops have launched 19 missile strikes on the Kharkiv region. The intensity of the shelling is attributed to the increase in the number of military transport aircraft that have recently been heading to the Belgorod airfield.
In particular, over the past week, Russian troops attacked Kharkiv region with 26 S-300 air defense systems and 3 Iskander-M ballistic missiles. The shelling killed 16 people, including one child, and wounded 78 others. 13 buildings were destroyed: a hospital, three educational institutions, and six residential buildings.
– “The Armed Forces of Ukraine not only control the airspace to reduce the missile threat, but also monitor in detail the missile launch points and supply logistics, especially with the use of military transport aircraft,” the statement said.
IL-76 crash – what is known
On the afternoon of January 24, it became known that a Russian military transport aircraft IL-76 had crashed in the Korocha district of Belgorod region.
The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that an investigation team and emergency officials were working at the crash site, but did not provide any details.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces confirmed the downing of the IL-76, saying that it was carrying missiles for the S-300 air defense systems that are being used to attack Kharkiv from Belgorod region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that there were 65 prisoners, 3 accompanying persons and 6 crew members on board the IL-76.
A representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Andrey Yusov, confirmed that a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was indeed supposed to take place today. However, he added that it is not currently taking place. It is also not known where the exchange could have taken place.
He noted that the information voiced by the Russian side that the prisoners of war could have been in the IL-76 plane that crashed in the Belgorod region is being checked.
