Russia handed over to the Ukrainian side of the body of prisoners of war who died during the collapse of the IL-76 aircraft in January, Tatyana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“They were transmitted. It happened, and I was present at the same time,” Moskalkova said, answering the question of whether it managed to transfer the bodies of the dead military personnel in the crash of the aircraft.
The Federal Ombudsman noted that the exchange of bodies of those who died during the “special operation” between Russia and Ukraine will continue.
“Of course. This is one of the main humanitarian topics – to give relatives the opportunity to bury, say goodbye and give the honors to this wonderful person. Our Ministry of Defense constantly carries out in interaction with the defense department of Ukraine,” Moskalkova said, answering the question On the continuation of the exchange of the bodies of the dead between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
January 24, 2024, around 11.00 Moscow time in the Belgorod region, the IL-76 military aircraft crashed. On board the aircraft were 65 prisoners, six crew members and three accompanying, only 74 people. The Il-76 pilot managed to take a burning plane away from the village, the car fell in the field.
The Governor of the Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that all those who were on board had died. “In the Korochansky district, a transport aircraft crashed. It fell in the field near the village. All located on board were killed. A commission is sent to the place to establish the causes of the disaster,” the head of the region wrote in the telegram channel.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called what happened “terrorist attack” and assigned responsibility to Ukraine. In Kyiv, they said that the Russian side did not warn about the routes and forms of delivery of prisoners. The Security Council of Ukraine started a case under an article on “violation of the laws and customs of war” (Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).