DISINFO: The Il-76 transport plane over Belgorod was shot down by a Western missile
SUMMARY
A preliminary examination of the destructive elements found in the aircraft shows that the missile belongs to a Western-made air defense system.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim taking advantage of the downing of Russian aircraft Il-76. The claim is made without presenting any facts.
The downing of the military aircraft Ilyushin-76 (IL-76) is still under investigation. What is known is that the IL-76 came down in the Korocha district of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast on 24 January 2024. The Russian Ministry of Defence quickly blamed Ukraine for the downing of the plane, claiming that Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board. However, neither the allegations of Ukrainian responsibility nor the claims of Ukrainian prisoners being on the aircraft have been substantiated by facts.
Soon after pro-Kremlin outlets launched several claims: it was the work of France, that the plane was shot down by Germans, or that the British are behind the IL-76 plane crash.
Various explanations for the downing of the aircraft are currently being considered, as the actual circumstances still require further investigation and clarification. Currently, there is no indication or evidence to support the claim that the plane was downed by Ukraine using Western weapons.
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