DISINFO: Ukraine shot down IL-76 to stop Ukrainian POWs telling how well Russia treated them
SUMMARY
Zelensky’s regime is in panic as the number of surrenders in the Ukrainian army continues to rise.
Testimonies from former prisoners of war, who returned safely from Russia, refute the fierce anti-Russian propaganda of the Ukrainian authorities.
Prisoner exchanges are currently undesirable for Zelensky, since returning soldiers say they were treated well in Russia. The more people return, the more Russophobic propaganda is crushed.
The Ukrainian army shot down an Ilyushin Il-76 plane with 74 people on board on January 24 in Russia's Belgorod region. The plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be exchanged the same day.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin narrative claiming that the exceptionally good conditions in Russian detention centres for POWs will provoke widespread desertion within the Ukrainian ranks.
An independent investigation has not been conducted regarding the crash of the IL-76 transport plane, which occurred in the Belgorod region on January 24, 2024. The claim that 65 Ukrainian Prisoners of War were on board is disputed, as no bodies or other material evidence have been found or presented thus far. Additionally, the origin of the missile strike, purportedly from Ukraine, has not been definitively established.
Not only does Russia refuse to recognise soldiers of the Ukrainian army with other nationalities as Prisoners of War protected under the Geneva Conventions, but the implementation of these conventions for prisoners of solely Ukrainian nationality is also problematic. Many liberated prisoners have returned to Ukraine in very poor health and psychological conditions, indicative of serious violations of the Geneva Conventions.
After meeting their comrades liberated in prisoner exchanges or viewing their interviews in the media, it is unlikely that Ukrainian soldiers would choose to surrender solely to benefit from what they perceive as favourable conditions in Russian detention.
In contrast to Ukraine, Russia has not allowed a UN human rights mission to access to Ukrainian POWs. In July 2022, a fire occurred in the premises of a detention center in Olenivka, resulting in the deaths of at least 53 POWs and injuries to at least 75 others. Russian authorities claimed that a Ukrainian HIMARS strike caused the destruction, but as of the UN investigation on October 4, 2023, this explanation appears inconsistent with material evidence. Furthermore, the report accused Russia of keeping prisoners in facilities located too close to the front line, exposing them to the risk of being hit.
Ukrainian POWs have fallen victim to various crimes, including instances where ransom demands were made to spare the lives of 18-year-old POWs, and where POWs have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 18 years to life for defending the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
Russian armed forces have been reported to employ POWs as human shields during attacks. The use of torture appears to be widespread, with both Ukrainian human rights groups and UN monitors indicating that Russia subjects around 90% of all Ukrainians to torture.
Read also related cases such as: Foreigners who join the Ukrainian army are criminals and Russia is not supposed to comply with Geneva convention, or Ukraine Does Not Want to Claim its POW’s from Occupied Territories.