Journalists learned the details of the impending prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
As reported by Lenta.ru with reference to the SHOT Telegram channel, the Il-76 military plane that crashed in the Belgorod region carried 65 captured soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and another 80 people were presumably transported next on a second similar airliner.
According to the publication’s source, the exchange of prisoners of war could have taken place according to the formula “192 to 192,” but in the end it was disrupted.
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed information about the crash of an Il-76 military transport aircraft in the Belgorod region, transporting 65 captured soldiers. In addition, it has six crew members and three accompanying persons.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called for an investigation into what missiles were used in the attack on the Russian plane. In turn, deputy Andrei Kartapolov suggested that three Patriot or IRIS-T missiles could have been fired at the plane.
Let us recall that prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine took place regularly throughout 2022, but they stopped in the second half of 2023. According to the Ukrainian side, a total of 48 exchanges have taken place since the beginning of the special operation.
In October, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, reported that about 500 Russian soldiers were being held captive in Ukraine. At the same time, the number of Ukrainian prisoners of war is estimated at 20–25 thousand.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
