According to the French, as reported by The Associated Press, the Patriot radar was only turned on at the last minute to avoid any early warning the operators would fire missiles at the Russian transport. Image: Sputnikįrance has confirmed that two Patriot missiles were fired. One of the parts is clearly marked Raytheon. Part of a Patriot missile recovered from Il-76 debris. Initially, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Il-76 was hit either by US-made Patriot missiles or by a French missile (later described as a SAMP-T air defense system).Īs the Russians collected evidence they did not find French missiles but they did find parts of US-made Patriot missiles, including serial numbers. The missiles are identified as MIM-104A, an early Patriot missile that was manufactured in the early 1980s. Per Ukraine, Taiwan boosts maritime drone production There were 74 persons on board the aircraft, of whom 65 were Ukrainian POWs, the pilots and crew, and Russian officials responsible for the planned prisoner exchange. ![]() Ukraine denies it received any announcement from the Russian side. It was landing at an airfield in Belgorod that has been closed because of its vulnerability to nearby Ukrainian air defense systems and vulnerability to missile and drone strikes.Īccording to the Russians, the transport-aircraft transfer of Ukrainian prisoners of war was announced 15 minutes before its arrival in Belgorod, and Ukrainian authorities were informed. The plane was operating over Russian territory but not far from the border with Ukraine. The plane is a workhorse of the Russian fleet of military planes it also serves in many civilian roles. ![]() Most of these operations have been carried out by Ukrainian Spetsnaz forces under the control of Ukrainian military intelligence, headed by Budanov.īudanov was asked last week to take over general command of all Ukraine’s armed forces after President Volodymyr Zelensky fired General Valerii Zaluzhny (confirmed on February 2). The Belgorod area has frequently been targeted by Ukrainian missiles, drones and artillery. ![]() Russian reports say that the pilots struggled to bring the plane down away from populated areas. Judging from video and photos, the aircraft was probably flying at an altitude of less than 5,000 feet when two missiles hit it, one of them blowing up an engine on the starboard side. On January 24, the Russian plane was shot down over the Belgorod region, likely as it was descending to land. Was the shootdown on orders of Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR), and was Kyrylo Budanov in any way involved? The shootdown of a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane has raised serious questions over who ordered it.
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