Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine, stated that there were no Ukrainian prisoners of war on board the Russian Il-76 aircraft.
Danilov denied the presence of Ukrainian prisoners on board the Il-76
Indeed, a plane crashed in Russia. Were our prisoners there, I can tell you for sure — no. I say this based on the experience we had after Tehran and based on what happened next. If this happened, then the amount of biological material, what is called, let's say, the dead, would be in a significant amount, — said Danilov.
Oleksiy Danilov
Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council
The NSDC Secretary emphasised that the deaths of the prisoners were actual, and the Russians would take advantage of this situation and film it.
There was no such thing there, they had this whole story prepared. So let's wait, we just have to wait. If this were to happen, then, believe me, Lavrov would have rehearsed like this at the UN, and they would have shown everything. They have nothing to show, because if it happened in reality, it would be a completely different picture, — said the official.
Danilov emphasises that it is impossible to hide anything in today's world.
At the same time, the Secretary of the National Security Council added that Ukraine does not have enough information on whether the prisoners who were to be exchanged that day are still alive.
Who had to fly on the board of Il-76?
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) officers managed to find out that Russian high-ranking officials were supposed to fly on board the IL-76 plane, which crashed in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation on January 24.
Andriy Yusov officially confirmed that at the last moment the FSB forbade them to board.
According to him, only five bodies were taken to the local morgue after the disaster.
A few official VIPs from the military-political representation of the aggressor state were indeed supposed to be on board. Their names are known and will be named, the materials will be provided as part of the international investigation, — added the DIU represantatives.
