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Effort to identify victims of recent Russian plane crash needs DNA samples from relatives

It is noted that once the identification is over, the relatives of the captured Ukrainian soldiers, who were killed in the crash, will be classified as victims of a crime as is usual practice in such investigations

MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. DNA analysis will be required to identify the victims of the recent Russian plane crash that occurred in the country’s Belgorod Region after the aircraft was struck by Ukrainian forces, a representative of emergency services told TASS.

"If we are talking about this particular tragedy, to establish the identity of all the passengers, we need DNA material from the relatives of the victims. The Ukrainian side will have to recognize the deaths of its citizens, carry out a procedure of taking DNA material and hand it over to our side. Subsequently, identification will be conducted as part of the investigation of the case," he said.

The person said that once the identification is over, the relatives of the captured Ukrainian soldiers, who were killed in the crash, will be classified as victims of a crime as is usual practice in such investigations.

"So the Kiev regime will be formally held responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians," he said.

On January 24 Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft that was carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers for exchange. All 74 people onboard, including 65 Ukrainians, were killed in the incident. The Russian Defense Ministry called the incident a terrorist act and said Kiev knew about the transportation of prisoners for an exchange that was to take place at the Kolotilovka checkpoint. The ministry said Ukraine attacked the plane so Kiev could blame Moscow for taking the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces fired on the aircraft from a location near the settlement of Liptsy in the Kharkov Region, using an air defense system. Russian Air Force radars detected the launch of two Ukrainian missiles, which later struck the aircraft, the ministry said.

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