POW Plane Shot Down with US Patriot Missile, According to Putin

A Russian Il-76 cargo plane crashed on January 24 with Russian authorities saying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were on board. Russian President Putin stated that the plane was shot down by an American Patriot system. There was no immediate response from Kyiv or Washington to Putin’s remarks. Ukrainian officials have not outright denied Russia’s version of events, but questioned whether the plane really was carrying Ukrainian POWs. Putin also said Russia was “insisting” on an international investigation into the downing of the plane, but said “there are no international organisations willing” to take part. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also called for an international investigation, but said it would likely be hampered as Russia has full control over access to the crash site. Patriots are guided surface-to-air missiles that can be used to target aircraft or defensively to take out incoming missiles. The United States agreed to send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine at the end of 2022 after months of requests from Kyiv.