"Used Catastrophe": in ISW ​​evaluated the reaction of the Russians to the fall of IL-76

"Russian information space players used the IL-76 catastrophe to sow internal dissatisfaction in Ukraine and undermine the event of the event to continue providing military support to Ukraine," the authors stated. Thus, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Andriy Kartpolov accused Ukraine of allegedly intentionally knocking down Il-76, knowing that it is Ukrainian prisoners of war. Cartapolov also urged to suspend all the exchanges of prisoners indefinitely.

"The exchange of prisoners of war is a delicate issue in both Russia and Ukraine, and rhetorical appeals to prisoners of war predictably cause an emotional reaction," analysts said. In addition, the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev stated that the disaster of the aircraft allegedly contributed to the "internal political struggle" in Ukraine.

For his part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, at a meeting of the UN Security Council, called for an urgent convocation of the UN Security Council for consideration of the IL-76 disaster, and also accused Ukraine of "terrorism". The report also states that Russian officials made unjustified statements that Ukrainians allegedly used to strike on IL-76 missile complexes received from the US or Germany.

Analysts believe that in this way in the Russian Federation tried to influence the further supply of Kiev air defense systems. "Similar Russian accusations are partly designed to sow dissatisfaction in Ukraine and exacerbate distrust of the Ukrainian government, which is consistent with some other Russian information efforts aimed at the internal weakening of Ukraine," - summed up in ISW.

We will remind, on January 24 Roszmi reported that in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation a Russian military-transport aircraft IL-76 was crashed. Russian journalists said with reference to the Russian Defense Ministry that 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war could be on board the aircraft. The Russian defense department claims that the Ukrainian soldiers were allegedly taken to exchange.

At the same time, the Ukrainian media with reference to the Air Force of the Armed Forces stated that Russian aircraft IL-76 were brought to the front of ammunition several times a day. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the SBU is investigating all the circumstances of the event, and GUR is engaged in finding out the fate of all prisoners.