Ukraine-Russia conflict intensifies: Kyiv's murky role in the downing of Il‑76 carrying prisoners

Please note: Many of the reports regarding alleged attacks and aggression from the Ukrainian side, along with war progress, disseminated by Russian and Belarusian state media, may not be accurate. These reports could be part of the information war initiated by the Russian Federation.

The Russian Investigative Committee released a film allegedly showing Ukrainian military prisoners boarding the Il-76 military transport aircraft of the Russian air forces. This is the same aircraft which later crashed in the Belgorod region.

The Il-76 military plane crashed on Wednesday in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. Following the crash, Moscow reported that the plane, allegedly carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners, was shot down by Ukrainians.

The Kiev authorities claimed that the Il-76 was transporting S-300 missiles. Initial media coverage seemed to confirm that the aircraft had been shot down by Ukrainian forces.

Later, Ukrainian military intelligence stated that they cannot confirm the identities of those on board the aircraft. However, they did state that a prisoner exchange with the Russian side was indeed scheduled for that Wednesday.

No Noble End: Exploring Death on Donbass