KYIV, Ukraine - The recent claims made by Russia regarding the downing of a military transport plane by Ukrainian forces have been met with skepticism and lack of credible evidence. Ukrainian officials have stated that Russia has provided no substantial proof to support their allegations that Ukrainian forces shot down the plane, which Moscow claims was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) intended for a swap with Russian POWs.
Late on Friday, the Ukrainian agency responsible for prisoner exchanges reported that Russian officials had provided them with a list of 65 Ukrainians who allegedly died in the plane crash, which occurred in Russia's Belgorod region on Wednesday. However, the agency stated that relatives of the named POWs were unable to identify their loved ones in the crash site photos provided by Russian authorities. Lt. Col. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, emphasized that Kyiv had no verifiable information about the individuals on board the plane, raising doubts about Russia's claim.
