“The missile’s destructive elements damaged the aircraft’s engines and its structure. This external influence caused the complete loss of control of the Il-76,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Il-76 was hit in the Belgorod region by either the French air defense system or the American Patriot complex.
The missiles that shot down the plane with captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were launched from Ukrainian territory, the president emphasized. The Investigative Committee claims that the anti-aircraft missile weapons were located in the village of Liptsy, Kharkov region.
On board were six crew members, 65 military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the exchange and three Russian military personnel accompanying them. They all died.