Russia's Investigative Committee Pockets Preliminary Evidence Of Its Military Transport Plane Hit By US Patriot Missiles

Russian investigative officers on the wreckage of the Ilyushin Il-76 plane that crashed in Belgorod. (Source: Russian Investigative Committee via TASS)

JAKARTA - Russian investigators on Thursday announced they had preliminary evidence indicating their military transport plane carrying prisoners of war crashed due to being hit by the United States-made Patriot's surface-to-air missile.

The Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the Belgorod region on January 24, killing 74 crew and passengers, including 65 Ukrainian war prisoners reportedly on their way to the exchange of prisoners of war, with Moscow blaming Kyiv.

Investigators released body parts footage that they said proved were Ukrainian military personnel on board.

Kyiv himself did not justify or deny that it had brought down the plane, but challenged details of Moscow's statement and called for an international investigation.

The Russian State Investigation Committee said in a statement that Ukrainian soldiers in the Lyptsi area, Kharkiv region had fired two missiles at the plane.

Among the pieces at the location there are serial numbers with English acronyms, including "RAHASIA IS classified under THE CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINE PATRIOT SECURITY DATE: 22/9/83 ADDITIONAL 28/11/83 8/8/84 NO CONTRACT/DAAH01-86C-A018'," the committee said in a statement.

"Fragments seized from the scene, according to design features, the geometric characteristics and markers available, are structural elements of the MIM-104A anti-aircraft missile from the United States Patriot complex, developed by Raytheon and Hughes companies and produced. by Raytheon, "said the committee.

They published a short video showing investigators examining several of the 116 missile fragments on land at an undetermined location. One of the fragments contains what looks like an "ATRIOT" in English.

A separate video of the Investigative Committee, which appears to have been taken at the crash site, shows officials inserting what they say is body parts into the bag as evidence.

The document shows tattooed skin and says, after being examined based on DNA and the identity records of Russian authorities against Ukrainian prisoners of war, the investigation proves those killed were Ukrainian soldiers.

The Russian side said on Friday it had found documents of Ukraine's identity and body parts of the crash site near the Ukrainian border.

Separately, Ukraine did not immediately comment on the investigation committee's statement.