Tatyana Moskalkova, Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner, has reported to the Russian state news outlet RIA that Russia is ready to repatriate the remains of Ukrainian victims from the January II-76 plane crash. According to Moskalkova, all administrative necessities for the repatriation are established and discussions are ongoing with Ukrainian authorities about the possible transfer of remains. If the transfer occurs, it will be conducted under the current procedures for repatriating remains.
The II-76 plane crash occurred in late January. The plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian military personnel. Russia alleges that the plane was on a pre-agreed mission to exchange prisoners of war when an anti-aircraft missile struck it. The missile was allegedly fired from the area of Liptsy in the Kharkiv region. The incident resulted in 74 deaths, comprising six crew members and three Russian officers.
However, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, asserts that Russia is likely overstating the number of victims, challenging the number of people on the II-76 plane, regardless of their nationalities. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has also disputed Russia’s account of the crash, stating, “It is obvious that the Russians are messing with the lives of Ukrainian captives, the feelings of their relatives, and the emotions of our society.”
These statements come two years after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and amidst ongoing investigations into war crimes, genocide, and human rights violations related to the conflict in Ukraine. Amnesty International claims that the Luhansk People’s Republic Supreme Court in Russian-occupied Luhansk has unlawfully found 33 Ukrainian soldiers guilty of war crimes.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), with assistance from the US, is also conducting an investigation into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine. In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Putin administration, for their roles in the alleged forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Both nations have accused each other of war crimes – with Russia citing the use of cluster munitions in civilian areas by Ukraine, and Ukraine asserting the use of chemical weapons by Russia.