Peskov on Returning the Bodies of Fallen Prisoners

Russia's presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that the presidential administration has not received a request from Kyiv regarding the handover of the bodies of Ukrainian prisoners of war who died as a result of the Il-76 military transport aircraft crash in the Belgorod region on January 24.

“There was no such request,” Dmitry Peskov responded to a question from RIA Novosti regarding whether such a request had been received by the presidential administration.

Previously, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense's Main Intelligence Directorate, announced that Ukraine had asked Russia to hand over the bodies of the military prisoners killed in the Il-76 crash. According to him, Ukrainian authorities insist on conducting an “impartial international investigation” into the crash.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that there were 65 Ukrainian military prisoners aboard the Il-76, as well as six crew members and three escorts, all of whom were killed. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a case regarding the terrorist act (Article 205 of the Criminal Code). According to the Russian Investigative Committee's version, the aircraft was shot down by two missiles fired from an American Patriot missile system.