In a public meeting with his deputies, Russian president and candidate Vladimir Putin asserted that Moscow will keep pursuing prisoner exchanges with Ukraine despite the downing of a civilian Il-76 military transport aircraft. The remark came as part of the discussion overseen by Russian authorities and reported by TASS.
Putin addressed a question about whether the exchanges would halt, replying, in essence, that the exchanges would continue. He stressed that Russia would not suspend the process and emphasized the goal of retrieving its personnel involved in the conflict. The statement underlined his view that the prisoner swap remains a priority regardless of the military backdrop. This stance was conveyed in the context of ongoing negotiations and formal procedures reported by Russian agencies and international observers.
Earlier remarks attributed to Putin on January 31 referenced the results of an investigation into the Il-76 incident. According to those statements, the aircraft, which carried Ukrainian prisoners, was shot down and was said to involve the Patriot system supplied by the United States. Moscow urged international participation in a comprehensive investigation of the incident to establish the facts and determine accountability. These comments were framed around calls for transparency and shared examination of the evidence, as reported by Russian media outlets at the time.
The Il-76 crash occurred in the early hours of January 24 near Yablonovo in the Belgorod region. The aircraft was on a mission to move captured Ukrainian service members to Belgorod. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that 65 Ukrainian soldiers were aboard, along with six crew members and three escort personnel. This report fed into broader discussions about the risks and consequences of prisoner transfers, as officials and analysts weighed the implications for the ceasefires and exchange programs that have been the subject of diplomacy and military reporting.
Putin has repeatedly linked the growing number of surrendered Ukrainian personnel with the broader political and military exchanges between Moscow and Kyiv. His comments suggest that the exchange mechanism remains a central element of Russia’s strategy in the conflict, even amid controversy and tragic incidents that complicate negotiations. Analysts note that the statements reflect a insistence on the exchange framework as a channel for managing prisoner cases while the two countries pursue wider diplomatic objectives. The narrative presented by Russian officials emphasizes continuity in the policy of prisoner exchanges despite evolving battlefield conditions and international responses, as observed by observers following the developments and reported by news agencies such as TASS.