Ukraine says Russia ignoring request to return bodies of POWs Moscow says killed in crash
Russia has not responded to Ukraine’s requests that it return the bodies of the Ukrainian POWs who Moscow asserts died in the Il-76 military plane crash, says Andriy Yusov, the spokesman for Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate.
“[Ukraine’s] demand for an impartial international investigation into not only the circumstances of the Il-76 plane crash but also what was actually inside it — whether there were people, whether there was ammunition, who was there besides the crew — remains relevant,” he added.
Yusov noted that the status of the 65 Ukrainian soldiers Moscow says died in the crash remains unchanged, and they are still considered prisoners of war.
On January 31, a week after the crash, Russia and Ukraine swapped prisoners. According to Yusov, Ukrainian POWs who were to be part of a planned exchange on the day of the crash returned on January 31; however, none of the 65 individuals alleged by Russian sources to have been on the plane were among them.
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