Yusov on prisoner swap: Russia did not return POWs who were on exchange list on day of Il-76 crash

Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

"Today there was a continuation of the exchange that was supposed to take place on January 24. Those who have returned are those who had to be returned [on January 24], except for the list of 65 people whom the Russian side called dead," he said.

Yusov added that Ukraine received no evidence that 65 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the crash of a Russian Il-76 plane.

In addition, at Ukraine's request, the Russians are refusing to return the bodies of allegedly dead Ukrainian prisoners of war.

During the 50th prisoner exchange on January 31, Ukraine brought home 207 defenders from Russian captivity, including 95 members of the Armed Forces, 56 National Guard soldiers, 26 border guards, 29 soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces and a representative of the National Police.

According to Russian media, an Il-76 plane, which is used to transport military equipment and troops, crashed in Russia's Belgorod region on January 24.

Sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces said the plane was carrying a batch of missiles for the S-300 air defense system, which the Russians use for massive bombardment of the Kharkiv region and other border regions.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 65 captured Ukrainian service members, six crewmembers and three escorts were allegedly on board the plane.

Yusov said that the prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was supposed to take place on January 24. According to him, reports by the Russian side that Ukrainian prisoners of war could be in the Il-76 plane that crashed in the Belgorod region are being verified.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would insist on an international investigation into the situation surrounding the downing of the Russian Il-76 plane in the Belgorod region.

Yusov said that Russia did not agree to conduct an international investigation into the crash of the Il-76 plane.