The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday following the crash of a Russian military transport plane near the Russia-Ukraine border.
Both Russian and Ukrainian officials are calling for a thorough investigation into the incident.
The Russian side has accused Ukraine of shooting down the plane, which crashed in the Belgorod region on Wednesday.
According to Russia, the aircraft was carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war intended for a scheduled prisoner swap.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, present in New York for U.N. meetings this week, labeled the incident a “terrorist attack” orchestrated by Ukraine. Lavrov informed reporters, “The Ukrainian prisoners of war were transported to the Belgorod region in order to conduct yet another swap that was agreed between Moscow and Kyiv. Instead of this, the Ukrainian side launched an air defense missile from the Kharkiv region, it targeted the airplane and was a fatal strike.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted his government’s demand for an international investigation, emphasizing the need to establish all relevant facts. Zelenskyy, in his nightly address on Wednesday, remarked, “All facts must be established, as much as possible, given that the aircraft crashed in Russian territory that is beyond our control.”
Accusing Russia of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war, the feelings of their relatives, and the emotions of our society,” Zelenskyy stressed the gravity of the situation. The unfolding incident has prompted international concern, leading to the emergency meeting at the U.N. Security Council.
