Russia has identified the remains of all those on board the IL-76 aircraft

Russia identifies remains of all people on board downed Il-76 plane

Russia has identified the remains of 74 passengers from an Il-76 military plane that was shot down last week over the Russian region of Belgorod with 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board, local officials said Thursday.

“In total, in the area where the plane crashed, more than 670 fragments of the victims’ bodies were found and collected, as well as partially preserved personal documents,” the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement.

According to the unit, the results of genetic analysis concluded that the remains belonged to six members of the plane’s crew, three Russian escorts and 65 Ukrainian prisoners who were being taken for exchange by Russian military personnel.

The Investigative Committee said that “samples of genetic material” were taken from all prisoners, so researchers had “genetic profiles of all” of the Ukrainians aboard the Il-76.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday accused the West of not being interested in an international investigation into the January 24 crash.

“It is clear that none of them will be interested in investigating and involving themselves in this investigation,” Peskov said, pointing to the fact that the plane was hit by missiles supplied to Kiev by Western countries. Was dropped, according to the Russian version.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a day earlier that it had already been established “with precision” that the Il-76 carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war was shot down by a US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile.

“That the plane was shot down by the Patriot anti-aircraft system has already been precisely established. This was established by expertise,” he said of the Russian leader.

Kiev, which has confirmed that a swap was being prepared, says the plane was carrying weapons, not prisoners of war.