MOSCOW, January 24. /TASS/. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has indirectly conceded that its forces shot down the Russian aircraft that was carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers.

"To reduce the missile threat, the Ukrainian Armed Forces not only control airspace, but also conduct thorough monitoring of the sites of missile launches and the logistics of their deliveries, especially by military transport aircraft," the General Staff said on Telegram. "The Ukrainian Armed Forces will continue to take measures to destroy delivery vehicles, control airspace to destroy the terrorist threat, including in the area of Belgorod and Kharkov."

The statement was published a few hours after the plane crash and begins with a report on the situation in the Kharkov Region, where explosions were heard on Wednesday. The statement doesn’t mention the Russian plane with the Ukrainian soldiers.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian IL-76 military transport aircraft over Russia’s Belgorod Region as it was carrying Ukrainian soldiers that had been taken prisoner. The soldiers were headed to a prisoner swap.

There were 74 people onboard, including 65 captured Ukrainian troops. There are no survivors. The Russian Defense Ministry called the incident a terrorist act and said Kiev knew about the transportation of prisoners for the exchange, which 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. Shortly after the plane crash, some Ukrainian news media reported that Ukrainian forces shot it down. Subsequently, these publications were edited, and now they do not say that the downing of the plane is the handiwork of the Ukrainian military.