Russia calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting following plane crash

Lavrov expressed the hope that the French presidency would promptly schedule the meeting to address the incident.

The military plane was shot down by Ukrainian armed forces in the Belgorod region, resulting in the tragic loss of all 65 Ukrainian servicemen, six crew members, and three escorts onboard. Lavrov labeled the incident a "criminal act" by Ukraine and emphasized Russia's commitment to uncovering the facts surrounding the crash.

The Russian Defense Ministry characterized the downing as a "terrorist attack," alleging that it was organized to falsely accuse Russia of killing Ukrainian servicemen. Furthermore, the ministry claimed that Ukrainian authorities were well aware of the planned transportation for the prisoner exchange.

In response, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence raised concerns that the incident might be a calculated move by Moscow to "destabilize" the situation in Ukraine. The intelligence agency stated a lack of reliable and comprehensive information regarding the passengers aboard the crashed plane.

Tensions are escalating between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides presenting different narratives about the circumstances surrounding the plane crash. The emergency UN Security Council meeting is expected to shed light on the incident and address the growing crisis between the two nations.