Kyiv, Moscow Demand Probe Into Downing of Plane Said to Be Carrying POWs

Plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners when it was downed by anti-aircraft fire originating from Kharkiv, Russia’s defense ministry claims.

This handout photo show flames rising from the scene of a warplane crashed at a residential area near Yablonovo, Belgorod region, on Jan. 23, 2024. Validated UGC video via AP

Both Kyiv and Moscow are calling for an international probe into the downing of a Russian transport plane that was reportedly carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war when it crashed in Russia’s western Belgorod region.

“We demand a recognized international investigation,” Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliament commissioner for human rights, said on Jan. 25.