Russia says Kyiv has agreed to accept bodies of Ukrainian POWs allegedly killed in Belgorod plane crash

Ukraine has agreed to accept the bodies of the Ukrainian prisoners of war that Russia says were onboard the crashed IL-76 military transport aircraft, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova told RIA Novosti on Sunday.

Moskalkova stated that she discussed the matter with Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets on February 29, and he confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to receive the bodies. However, Moskalkova did not provide details on when the transfer could take place.

The Russian authorities have maintained that there were 65 Ukrainian POWs aboard the crashed Il-76 but have not provided any evidence. On February 9, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said that there were no POWs on the plane. U.S. officials have said that the plane was downed by a Patriot missile defense system.