MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. The data retrieved from the cockpit voice and flight data recorders of the Ilyushin-76 military transport plane shot down by the Ukrainian military over the Belgorod Region confirm an external impact, an official source told TASS.
"The data from the black boxes exclude all possible versions of the Ilyushin-76 crash and confirm that the plane was subjected to an external impact. In other words, it was shot down in the air. Everything is obvious," the source said.
He added that the analysis of the black boxes data was continuing.
"This work is nearing completion. There is no hurry," the official said.
A Russian military transport Il-76 plane carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian captives, who were supposed to be exchanged in a prisoner swap, was shot down by Ukrainian troops over Russia’s Belgorod Region bordering Ukraine on January 24. All those who were aboard died. The Russian defense ministry described the incident as a terror attack. According to the ministry, Kiev was aware that the plane was carrying prisoners who were to be exchanged at the Kolotilovka checkpoint and the attack on the plane was geared to accuse Russia of killing Ukrainian soldiers.