White House comments on Russian Il-76 aircraft crash near Belgorod
John Kirby, White House National Security Council Coordinator (Photo: Getty Images)
The United States currently lacks confirmation of who may have been on board the Russian Il-76 plane that crashed early on January 24 near Belgorod, according to the White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby.
According to him, the United States is currently doing everything possible to clarify the details of the incident and obtain more information. Kirby emphasizes that "we've seen the reports but we're not in a position to confirm them."
Kirby states, "We are doing the best we can to try to get more clarity and more information on it."
Background
Earlier today, it became known that a military transport plane, Il-76, crashed in the Korocha district of the Belgorod region, Russian Federation. Sources from RBC-Ukraine report that the aircraft was transporting missiles for the S-300 air defense system.
Meanwhile, Russia claims that the plane allegedly had 65 Ukrainian military prisoners, six crew members, and three escorts on board. Russia accuses Ukraine of shooting down the plane.
Ukraine responded to the Russian statements, urging Ukrainians not to spread fake information until official statements are made.
Later, a statement from the General Staff appeared amid information about the Il-76 crash near Belgorod. The statement mentioned that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would continue monitoring the airspace in the Belgorod-Kharkiv direction.
For more details on the Il-76 crash in the Belgorod region, read RBC-Ukraine's material.
