President Zelensky slams Putin for ‘taking part in with prisoners’ lives’

President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of ‘taking part in with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners’ after a Russian army transport airplane carrying 65 prisoners of struggle exploded into an enormous fireball.

Dramatic video reveals an out-of-control Ilyushin Il-76 plunging from the sky and smashing into the bottom in entrance of horrified locals within the Belgorod area close to Ukraine’s border yesterday.

Russia stated that the 65 POWs, six Russian crew and three escorts on board have been all killed within the lethal airplane crash. Hours after the tragedy, each Russia and Ukraine rapidly pinned the blame on each other.

Without offering proof Moscow accused Ukraine of killing its personal POWs, whereas Kyiv demanded a world inquiry and referred to as for full clarification of the circumstances of the incident.

President Zelensky, in his night deal with, stated: ‘It is obvious that the Russians are taking part in with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, the sentiments of their family members and the feelings of our society.’ 

Mr Zelensky, who has since cancelled a deliberate regional journey linked to his birthday at present, demanded ‘all clear details have to be established’.

The Russian defence ministry stated six Russian crew members and three Russian troopers had been on the Ilyushin Il-76 army transport airplane shot down.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod area, stated all 74 individuals onboard had been killed within the crash. 

After a protracted pause, the Ukrainian army stated it will proceed to destroy Russian army transport plane it believed have been carrying missiles with which to strike Ukraine.

It stated it had observed extra Russian army transport plane touchdown in Belgorod, one thing it linked to Russian missile strikes on Kharkiv and different Ukrainian cities.

Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk accused Russia of making an attempt to undermine worldwide help for Ukraine.

‘Ukraine has the best to defend itself and destroy the technique of the aggressors’ aerial assault,’ he stated.

He stated investigations would reveal whether or not the missiles have been the US-made Patriots or German IRIS-Ts. 

The Russian defence ministry stated the change was to have taken place on Wednesday afternoon on the Kolotilovka border checkpoint and Ukraine knew a transport airplane carrying captured Ukrainian troopers was anticipated on the Belgorod airfield.

‘By committing this terrorist act, the Ukrainian management has confirmed its true face. It disregarded the lives of its personal residents,’ the ministry stated in an announcement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov referred to as for a gathering of the U.N. Security Council and stated Russia sought to ascertain ‘the explanations behind the Ukrainian prison act’.

A French spokesperson on the U.N. stated the assembly can be held at 5pm (10pm GMT) on Thursday.

Ukraine’s GUR army intelligence company stated Ukraine had not been requested to make sure airspace safety round Belgorod in contrast to earlier swaps and had not been knowledgeable about what technique of transport can be used and which routes.

‘On this foundation, we could also be speaking about deliberate and deliberate actions by Russia to destabilise the state of affairs in Ukraine and weaken worldwide help for our state,’ GUR stated in an announcement on Telegram.

Russia’s defence ministry stated radar operators had detected the launch of two Ukrainian missiles on the time of the crash.

If the small print are confirmed, it will be the deadliest incident of its variety inside Russia’s internationally recognised borders in the course of the virtually two-year-old struggle.

Sources throughout the Ukrainian army had advised native media that the downing of the Russian army plane was ‘their work’ and that it was carrying S-300 air defence missiles. But that declare was later retracted.

And Andrei Kartapolov, a member of Russia’s State Duma and a retired normal, claimed the airplane was shot down by three kinds of missiles that the West has provided to Ukraine, with out offering proof. 

‘It was completely deliberate. They knew very nicely that the airplane was en route, the place it was going and the operators of (Ukrainian) surface-to-air missile techniques can not mistake transport planes for army planes or helicopters as targets,’ Kartapolov stated. 

‘It was finished intentionally to sabotage the prisoner change,’ Kartapolov stated, with out offering proof to again up his claims.  

Vyacheslav Volodin, the highest lawmaker in Russia’s decrease home of parliament, parroted the identical line and claimed the airplane had been ‘shot down’ by Kyiv and blamed Western missiles.

‘They shot their very own troopers within the air. Their personal,’ Volodin advised lawmakers in a plenary session. 

‘Their moms, wives and youngsters have been ready for them. They took a choice and shot down our defenceless pilots on a army transport airplane, who have been finishing up a humanitarian mission, with American and German rockets,’ he added. 

Russia’s claims have been instantly questioned, with analysts pointing to putting inconsistencies within the allegations coming from Moscow. 

Ukraine’s army intelligence service issued an announcement this afternoon, which says it has no ‘dependable info’ about who was on board the crashed plane.

The assertion confirms that Ukraine ‘carried out all agreements’ for a prisoner change because of occur yesterday.

However, it says it was ‘as much as Russia to make sure the protection of our defenders below the agreements that had been reached’. 

The assertion additionally notes that Ukraine had not been requested to make sure the ‘security of airspace close to town of Belgorod’ on the agreed time – saying this was ‘one thing that had occurred on quite a few events earlier than’ in earlier swaps.

The assertion claims that ‘Russia’s deliberate actions [were] geared toward placing the lives and security of the POWs below menace’.

However, Russia prompt that Ukraine had been supplied with all the small print of the prisoner change.

Footage on the website of the crash in Belgorod area doesn’t to date present a number of our bodies – or elements – on the scene. The bloody stays of 1 physique could also be seen on a blurred picture. 

The Russians say the human stays are as much as over a mile from the location, however they haven’t been proven. 

Instead, the Emergencies Ministry employees – who would usually take care of air crashes – have been banished from the location and changed with Defence Ministry troopers with police help, in accordance with studies. They have been particularly eager to pay money for paperwork seen scattered within the snow.

Prominent Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko stated he discovered it onerous to consider that solely three Russians can be accompanying 65 Ukrainian POWs. 

He additionally stated it is not going that Ukraine’s army would ‘do not know’ that this explicit plane was carrying their very own troops, particularly if it was a part of such a significant prisoner swap. 

Indeed, veterans of different exchanges like Ukrainian POW Max Kolesnikov stated that three guards taking care of 65 prisoners shouldn’t be believable and suggests it’s a ‘lie’.

In his case, there have been no less than 20 guards on the airplane carrying 50 prisoners.

Further, a listing of names of these supposedly on the airplane was given by  Putin’s main lady propagandist Margarita Simonyan, head of the RT state media empire. Pictures of a number of the 65 she named have been printed. 

Yet no less than a kind of on the listing was handed again to Ukraine on 3 January, say studies in Ukraine. Other accounts say as much as 18 have been swapped earlier this month and are not in Russia. 

Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, stated: ‘Comments will come just a little later. Time is required to make clear all the info.’

And Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated it was wanting into the crash however didn’t instantly present any info. Instead, it cautioned towards sharing ‘unverified info.’

‘We emphasize that the enemy is actively conducting info particular operations towards Ukraine geared toward destabilising Ukrainian society,’ it stated in an announcement on Telegram.

The Il-76 is a army transport plane designed to airlift troops, cargo, army tools and weapons. It normally has a crew of 5, and might carry as much as 90 passengers. 

Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that an unspecified ‘incident’ had occurred within the area’s Korochansky district, northeast of Belgorod metropolis, and that he was going to examine the location. 

‘Currently, an investigation crew and staff of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are engaged on the spot,’ he stated.

‘I’ve modified my work schedule and gone to the world. All particulars later.’

It wasn’t instantly clear what prompted the crash, which occurred round 11am close to the village of Yablonovo, however Russian authorities stated a particular army fee was on the way in which to the location. 

Russia’s defence ministry stated a prisoner change had been because of happen on the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the border between Russia and Ukraine. 

It stated the airplane that was shot down had been flying from the Chkalovsky airbase close to Moscow to Belgorod, through which case it will have been within the remaining stage of its flight.

Lawmaker Kartapolov stated it had not been escorted by Russian fighter planes as a result of the flight had been agreed with the Ukrainians. He stated a second Il-76 transport airplane carrying round 80 extra Ukrainian troopers to the change had managed to show round.

Ukraine’s GUR army intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov advised the Radio Svoboda outlet {that a} prisoner change had been deliberate for Wednesday, including: ‘It’s not happening in the intervening time.’

Russia and Ukraine have carried out a number of huge prisoner swaps in the midst of the struggle.

Belgorod area, which borders Ukraine, has come below frequent assault from Ukraine in current months, together with a December missile strike which killed 25 individuals. 

Ukraine later appeared to confess it had focused the Il-76, whereas not commenting on the army airplane having Kyiv PoWs on board, as Russia has alleged.  

‘The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine introduced towards the background of the downing of the Russian Il-76 army transport airplane that the Defence Forces are carefully monitoring the logistics of the provision of missiles with a purpose to scale back the missile menace to Kharkiv area,’ stated an official assertion.

‘The recorded depth of shelling is instantly associated to the rise within the variety of army transport planes which have lately been heading to the Belgorod airfield.

‘Taking this into consideration, the Armed Forces will proceed to take measures to destroy technique of supply, management the airspace to destroy the terrorist menace, together with within the Belgorod-Kharkiv path.’

Earlier, there had been a missile menace in Belgorod area and claims Russian air defences shot down an aircraft-style drone flown from Ukraine. 

Separately, Zelensky stated a significant Russian missile assault that apparently was devised to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences had killed 18 individuals and injured 130.

The barrage using greater than 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft and guided missiles early Tuesday hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, ‘all abnormal homes,’ Zelensky stated on X.

Russia’s onslaught, which included targets within the capital Kyiv and second-largest metropolis Kharkiv, was the heaviest in weeks and lent weight to Zelensky’s appeals for Western allies to offer extra army help.

‘This 12 months, the primary precedence is to strengthen air defence to guard our cities and cities, in addition to defend frontline positions,’ Zelensky stated late Tuesday.

With the 930-mile entrance line largely static amid icy climate and as either side search to replenish their weapons stockpiles, the struggle lately has centered on long-range strikes. 

Analysts say Russia stockpiled missiles to pursue a winter marketing campaign of aerial bombardment, whereas Ukraine has sought to strike inside Russia with new kinds of drones.

Russia could have employed decoy missiles in Tuesday’s assault in an effort to open up holes in Ukraine’s air defences, a U.S. suppose tank stated.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War stated Moscow is probably going making an attempt to accumulate extra ballistic missiles from overseas nations, together with Iran and North Korea, as a result of they could be more practical in some circumstances.

An additional barrage of Russian S-300 missiles struck residential districts of Kharkiv late Tuesday, injuring 9 individuals and damaging residential buildings, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov stated.

Russia denies its forces strike civilian areas, though there may be substantial proof on the contrary.

The Russian Defence Ministry stated that air defences shot down 4 Ukrainian drones over the Oryol area of western Russia early Wednesday.

Oryol Mayor Yuri Parakhin stated that a number of drones have been downed over town. He stated there have been no casualties, however home windows have been shattered in a number of condominium buildings within the metropolis.

Another Ukrainian drone was downed early Wednesday over the Belgorod border area, in accordance with regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov. He stated there have been no casualties or injury.

Ukraine’s allies have promised to maintain sending army help packages, regardless that their assets are stretched. Help from the United States, by far Ukraine’s single largest supplier, has additionally hit political snags.

The German defence ministry introduced Wednesday that it plans to ship six SEA KING Mk41 multi-role helicopters from Bundeswehr shares to Ukraine.

Since the start of the struggle army deliveries from Germany have amounted to round 6 billion euros ($6.52 billion), together with substantial anti-aircraft and air defence techniques, the federal government stated.