A huge ball of fire appeared where the jet appeared to have struck the ground in the video of the crash that was shared on social media. The scene showed the plane falling out of the sky into a snowy rural area.

On Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry charged that Kyiv downed a military plane, killing all 74 people on board, including 65 prisoners of war from Ukraine who were being exchanged.

Although they stated they were investigating, Ukrainian officials did not immediately confirm or refute Russia’s assertions regarding the crash in the Belgorod border region.

Who was inside and other information regarding the cause of the plane’s downing could not be verified by the Associated Press. Russia and Ukraine have swapped allegations during the 700-day battle, and because of the limitations of a combat zone and the strict media control exercised by either side, it has frequently been challenging to ascertain the truth.

Firefighters, ambulances, and police hurried to the scene in Belgorod’s Korochansky area, according to a local emergency services official cited by Russian news agency Tass.

When the jet was shot down at 11:15 am local time (0815 GMT, 3:15 am EST), the Russian military claimed that the prisoners were being flown to the area for a prisoner swap.

The media was informed by Andrii Yusov, the spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence, that a prisoner swap was scheduled for Wednesday but would not take place. He stated the CIA is determining if the aircraft included Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The message stated that the POW exchange was to happen at the Kolotilovka crossing on the Russian-Ukrainian border and that the aircraft was traveling from the Chkalovsky airfield in the Moscow region to the Belgorod region. The bridge is located close to Yablonovo settlement, which is roughly 135 km (85 miles) west of the site of the plane crash.

Outraged, Russian politicians and authorities questioned whether more prisoner swaps should take place. This month saw the largest one yet, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, with 248 Russians released and 230 Ukrainian prisoners of war returning home. It was the 49th since the start of the war and the first in nearly five months.

The battle has long been concentrated in the areas of Russia and Ukraine called Kharkiv and Belgorod, particularly when it comes to bombings using drones and missiles.

Russia’s air superiority over Ukraine’s fleet of Soviet-era aircraft has been substantially established during the conflict. However, some crashes in Russia have been linked by some analysts to an increase in aircraft activity during the conflict in Ukraine.

Simultaneously, Kyiv has claimed credit for downing two Russian C-130 transport aircraft, which, if verified, would represent a significant accomplishment for Ukraine. The region of Belgorod in Russia has seen a rise in cross-border attacks, the deadliest of which claimed 25 lives in December.

Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov of Belgorod announced on his Telegram channel just before the accident that there was a “missile alert” in the area and advised locals to seek shelter.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in Ukraine declared that it was investigating the crash, but it withheld further details for the time being. Rather, it issued a warning about disseminating “unverified information.”

In a Telegram announcement, it stated, “We emphasize that the enemy is actively conducting information special operations against Ukraine to destabilise Ukrainian society.”

A special military commission was on its way to the accident scene, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin, informed reporters during his teleconference that he was unable to comment on the disaster due to insufficient information.

The Russian military export agency states that the Il-76 is built to carry up to 225 soldiers, supplies, weapons, and military hardware.

After two winters of battle, little has changed on the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line of the conflict. The fight has recently centered on long-range strikes as both sides look to restock their arsenals of weapons.

Before this, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, claimed that a significant Russian missile strike on Tuesday had left 18 people dead and 130 injured.

130 residential structures in three Ukrainian cities were struck by the barrage, which used more than 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft, and guided missiles. Zelenskyy described them as “all ordinary houses” on X, the previous Twitter platform.

The assault by Russia, which targeted locations in Kyiv and Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, was the strongest in weeks and supported Zelenskyy’s requests for increased military support from Western partners.

 Zelenskyy wrote on Tuesday, “This year, the main priority is to strengthen air defense to protect our cities and towns, as well as defend front-line positions.”

According to analysts, Russia has accumulated missiles in preparation for an aerial assault throughout the winter, while Ukraine has attempted to use novel drones to launch strikes within Russia.

According to a US research group, Russia may have used decoy missiles in Tuesday’s attack to weaken Ukraine’s air defenses.

Moscow is probably attempting to obtain more ballistic missiles from other nations, such as North Korea and Iran, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, since they would be more useful in some situations.

Nine people were injured and residential buildings were damaged when a second round of Russian S-300 missiles attacked Kharkiv’s residential neighborhoods late on Tuesday, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Russia disputes that its forces target civilian areas, despite strong evidence to the contrary. In addition, the Russian Defence Ministry reported on Wednesday that four Ukrainian drones were shot down by its air defenses in the western Russian region of Oryol. Yuri Parakhin, the mayor of Oryol, reported that multiple drones were shot down over the city, but no one was hurt.

Gladkov reported that early on Wednesday, another Ukrainian drone was shot down over the Belgorod border region. He said there were neither damages nor casualties.

Even though their resources are limited, Ukraine’s partners have committed to providing further military support. The United States, which is by far Ukraine’s largest aid donor, has had political difficulties as well.

On Wednesday, the German Ministry of Defence announced that it will be sending six Sea King Mk41 helicopters to Ukraine.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/russia-accuses-ukraine-of-downing-military-plane-killing-all-74-aboard-including-pows-9126323/