Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Wednesday evening called for an international investigation into the crashed Russian plane, which, according to Moscow, was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners who were headed for an exchange with Russia, AFP reports.

“It is clear that the Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, with the feelings of their parents and with the emotions of our society,” he said in his daily speech, without confirming or denying whether the victims were Ukrainian prisoners.

Russian authorities say 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, have died after the military plane they were on was shot down on Wednesday in the Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine.

“We need to establish all the facts clearly and as clearly as possible, given that the plane was shot down on the territory of Russia, which is beyond our control,” President Zelenskyy added in a video posted on social media Wednesday evening. socialization.

Moscow blamed Ukraine, calling the destruction of the plane a “terrorist act”.

The Ukrainian military confirmed that a prisoner exchange was planned for Wednesday and said that Russia was responsible for the protection of Ukrainian prisoners of war in custody. They assured that they will continue to target Russian military facilities and aircraft in the Belgorod region.

Kyiv has not confirmed whether Ukrainian prisoners of war died in the plane crash, and whether the plane was shot down by Ukrainian weapons.

President Zelenskyi added that he had instructed several state institutions to try to investigate the accident.