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Moscow lab begins retrieving data from recorders of Ilyushin-76, downed by Ukraine

The source explained that the condition of both recorders was satisfactory

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. Both voice and flight data recorders of Russia’s Ilyushin-76 military transport plane, shot down by Ukraine over the Belgorod Region, have been delivered to a military laboratory in Moscow, emergency response services have told TASS.

"The flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been delivered to the Defense Ministry’s laboratory. The commission has started examining them. Both black boxes are decodable," the source said. He explained that the condition of both recorders was satisfactory and data was being retrieved from them.

On January 24, the Ukrainian military shot down a Russian Ilyushin-76 military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange over the territory of Belgorod Region. There were 74 people on board, including 65 Ukrainian POWs. Nobody survived. The Russian Defense Ministry called what happened a terrorist act and stressed that Kiev had prior knowledge of the transportation of POWs for the exchange, which was to take place at the Kolotilovka border checkpoint, and attacked the plane in order to eventually blame the attack on Moscow.