Russian lawmaker says plane carrying POWs was downed by three missiles
Andrei Kartapolov, a member of Russia’s State Duma and a retired general, said a military transport plane that crashed in southern Russia on Wednesday was shot down by three missiles of types that the West has supplied to Ukraine.
Kartapolov did not state the source of his information. He said investigations would reveal whether the missiles were Patriots or IRIS-Ts.
— Reuters
Kremlin says it’s looking into plane crash reports
The Kremlin’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was looking into reports that a Russian military plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war had crashed over the Belgorod region.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense and domestic media outlets reported earlier that a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed near the Ukrainian border on Wednesday. Russian news agency RIA Novosti cited a defense ministry statement saying the plane had 65 POWs on board, as well as a crew of six and three other people.
When asked by a reporter about the reports, Peskov said it was new information for the Kremlin and it would now “deal with it,” RIA Novosti reported.
KANT, KYRGZSTAN – JANUARY 7: (—EDITORIAL USE ONLY â MANDATORY CREDIT – “KYRGZSTAN DEFENCE MINISTRY / HANDOUT” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS—-) Kyrgyz military vehicles are being loaded onto a Russian military plane Ilyushin IL76, at the airbase in Kyrgyzstan’s Kant city on 07 January 2022. 150 soldiers, 8 armored vehicles and 11 vehicles carrying supplies were sent to Kazakhstan. (Photo by Kyrgyzstan Defence Ministry / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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The Il-76 military transport aircraft is designed for transporting personnel, cargo and military equipment and is capable of carrying 126 paratroopers with parachutes, 145 personnel in a single-deck version and 225 in a double-deck version, news agency Interfax noted.
Its…
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