UN Security Council archive image. EFE/EPA/JUSTIN LANE
Moscow, January 26 (EFE). – The Kremlin today accused Western countries of failing to condemn Ukraine's shooting down of the Russian Il-76 military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners during the United Nations Security Council meeting the night before.
“So far there has been no categorical condemnation of this terrible terrorist attack by Western countries. We have not heard a single word of condemnation,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in his daily press conference.
According to the Kremlin official, “this event requires appropriate assessment by the international community” since, he claimed, “this is not the first time that Kiev has killed its own people.”
Asked about the willingness of the Russian presidency to provide evidence of Kiev's involvement in the downing of the plane to the United Nations or other international organizations, or whether the Ukrainian authorities knew who was on board the plane, Peskov replied: ” I have nothing.” What should I do? Add for now.”
“Investigators are working and decisions will be made as soon as they receive all the necessary information,” he added.
Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polianski, told the Security Council the day before that the downing of the plane in the Belgorod region was “a very primitive and cowardly attack by representatives of Kiev who are not fulfilling their responsibilities,” although he did not tat concluded that it was “a lack of coordination within the Ukrainian armed forces, an (individual) initiative or a crime that goes beyond all morality.”
US representative Robert Wood did not elaborate on the refutation of the Russian thesis, recalling that “the Kremlin bears ultimate responsibility for the start and continuation of this war,” but without going into the details of the plane and its downing.
In response, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo acknowledged that the UN was “unable to verify the reports or circumstances” of the incident.
“It is clear that the incident occurred in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” DiCarlo stressed, calling on Russia and Ukraine to “avoid actions, rhetoric and accusations that could further aggravate the situation.”
According to the Russian version, the Il-76 military transport plane was shot down by Ukraine on Wednesday with 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board, as well as six crew members and three Russian guards who were allegedly traveling to Ukraine to carry out a prisoner exchange operation.
Ukraine, which has confirmed that a swap is being prepared, maintains that the plane was carrying weapons and not prisoners of war.