The Russians are trying to use the crash of the Il-76 near Belgorod for propaganda and psychological operations. With their help, they expect to inflame discontent in Ukraine and doubts in the West about the continuation of military support for Kyiv.
This was noted by analysts in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
American researchers cannot accurately assess the circumstances of the Il-76 crash. At the same time, they note that Russia’s accusations that Ukraine allegedly shot down the Il-76 plane with Ukrainian prisoners of war on board are partly aimed at sowing discontent in Ukraine and increasing distrust of the Ukrainian government. This is consistent with a number of other Russian information efforts aimed at weakening the positions of the authorities and the military inside the country.
The ISW emphasized that the exchange of prisoners of war is a sensitive issue for both Russia and Ukraine. Therefore, mentioning them predictably causes an emotional reaction.
“Russian officials made unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine shot down the IL-76 with American or German missile systems. By this, Moscow is probably trying to dissuade Ukraine’s Western partners from providing critical air defense systems necessary for the further defense of Ukraine,” ISW analysts believe.
We will remind you that yesterday around 11:00 a.m. Russian channels burst with the news that the Il-76 military plane crashed in the Belgorod region. A video of the incident appeared online.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine commented on the disaster in a lengthy statement. In particular, it states: “The Armed Forces take all measures to protect Ukraine and Ukrainians.” The enemy’s inability to achieve any results on the battlefield continues his strategy of terror, in particular in the Kharkiv direction. We see the use of missile strikes with the aim of destroying Kharkiv and killing civilians in other cities of Ukraine.”
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