Russian military transport plane crashes near Ukraine
NBCJan 15
Following Wednesday's crash of a Russian military transport plane in the Belgorod Region — believed to have killed all 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, alongside nine Russian cabin crew and security staff, on board — Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was necessary to establish all the facts and that Ukraine would insist on an international investigation.
"We need to establish all the exact facts," Zelenskyy said during his nightly address. "As much as possible, given that the plane crash occurred on Russian territory, which is beyond our control."
While Russia is predictably rushing to conclusions and is already using this event to toy with the feelings of Ukrainian society, the Ukrainian government is taking all the steps necessary to find out exactly what happened with the plane going down. Kyiv will demand an international investigation so that all facts can be established.
While a Russian investigation to establish the facts is ongoing, Ukraine's Armed Forces have already indirectly suggested they are responsible for the plane going down, saying that it will "continue to destroy" future flights in the Belgorod region. This was a reprehensible crime and Kyiv is the primary suspect.