Russian investigators have determined that a military transport plane near the Russian-Ukrainian border was shot down by two missiles fired from a U.S.-made surface-to-air system, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. The committee confirmed that over 100 fragments of MIM-104A anti-aircraft missiles, along with hundreds of body parts, were recovered from the crash site in the western Belgorod region.

In their statement, the Investigative Committee identified Ukrainian servicemen from the Liptsy settlement in Ukraine's Kharkiv region as the attackers. They stated that the Il-76 military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces was targeted on January 24, 2024. The investigation conducted an expert analysis, which concluded that the recovered missile fragments match the design features, geometric characteristics, and markings of the MIM-104A anti-aircraft guided missile of the U.S. Patriot system.

The committee also revealed that more than 670 body parts have been recovered from the crash site. Genetic examination results conclusively determined that the fragments belonged to six crew members, three military police officers, and 65 Ukrainian servicemen who lost their lives in the tragic incident.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the plane was shot down by missiles fired from a Patriot anti-aircraft system. However, Ukraine has not responded to the allegations or acknowledged any involvement in the crash.

While Russia has called for an international investigation into the incident, concrete steps to facilitate such an investigation have not yet been taken. The findings presented by Russian law enforcement have not been independently verified at this time.

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