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Russia ready to hand over crash victims' bodies to Ukraine, RIA says

Russia ready to hand over crash victims' bodies to Ukraine, RIA says
Investigators examine what the Russian Investigative Committee says are fragments of missiles that were used to shoot down the Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane, at the crash site near the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region, Russia, in this still image from video released Feb 1, 2024.
PHOTO: Russian Investigative Committee via Reuters file
PUBLISHED ONMarch 01, 2024 6:59 AM

Russia is ready to hand over to Ukraine the bodies of the victims of a January military plane crash, the RIA news agency cited Russian human rights official Tatyana Moskalkova as saying on Friday (March 1).

Moscow accuses Kyiv of downing the Ilyushin Il-76 plane in Russia's Belgorod region and killing 74 people on board, including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers en route to be swapped for Russian prisoners of war. It has not presented evidence.

Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied that it shot down the plane and has challenged Moscow's account of who was on board and what happened.

Moskalkova said she was in touch with Ukrainian officials regarding the matter of the bodies.

ALSO READ: Ukraine says Russia not handing over alleged POWs bodies from crashed plane

UkraineRussia-Ukraine conflictAir crashesMilitary planesDefence and military
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