Russia handed over to Ukraine the bodies of prisoners who died in the crash of the Il-76 aircraft in January, said the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, Tatyana Moskalkova. «They have been handed over. It happened, and I was present», — said the ombudsman, without specifying when it happened.
Meanwhile, at the end of November, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, already reported on the transfer of bodies to Ukraine, stating that the Ukrainian side was requesting the bodies of prisoners from Russia, although they had already been handed over.
On February 2, Ukrainian representatives stated that they asked Russia to hand over the bodies of prisoners of war who died in the crash, but the Kremlin replied that no such requests had been received.
In March, Moskalkova said that Russia was ready to hand over the bodies of prisoners of war to Ukraine, for which a corresponding request was received from Ukrainian representatives, and all procedures had been completed.
The military transport Il-76 crashed on January 24, 50 kilometers from Belgorod. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that there were 74 people on board the aircraft — 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war being transported to the border for exchange, three escorts, and six crew members. Later, the investigative committee stated that the type of missiles that shot down the Il-76 had been identified — MIM-104A of the Patriot complex. According to the investigation, the shells were launched by Ukrainian military from the settlement of Liptsy in the Kharkiv region.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about the need for an international investigation. At the same time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine issued a press release stating that Russia was transporting S-300 missile systems by aircraft and reported that Russia did not warn Ukraine about the need to ensure the safety of the airspace over Belgorod.