At the request of Russia, the United Nations Security Council held an urgent meeting on Thursday to discuss the recent crash of a Russian military transport plane near the border between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have expressed the need for an inquiry into the incident.

The United Nations’ political leader, Rosemary DiCarlo, stated that the organization does not have the capability to confirm the details of the crash.

She stated that it is evident the event occurred during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing conflict. In order to prevent a worsening of the situation, she urges all parties involved to avoid actions, language, or accusations that could exacerbate the already perilous conflict.

Moscow has accused Kyiv of shooting down the plane, which crashed Wednesday in the Belgorod region. Russia said the plane was carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be part of a prisoner swap.

According to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Ukrainian prisoners of war were transported to the Belgorod region for a planned exchange between Moscow and Kyiv. However, during his visit to New York for U.N. meetings, Lavrov stated that the Ukrainian side unexpectedly launched an air defense missile from the Kharkiv region, causing a fatal strike on an airplane instead.

Call for facts

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, stated that his administration is pushing for a global inquiry to determine the truth.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia was manipulating the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war, the emotions of their loved ones, and the overall sentiment of our society.

During the meeting of the Security Council, the representative from Ukraine reiterated their request for an international inquiry. They explained that since the plane crashed on Russian land, Ukraine was unable to obtain access to it.

“After the plane crash, the Federal Security Service and Russian military prevented emergency workers from examining the crash site, in accordance with protocol,” stated Deputy U.N. Ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn. “Our military intelligence reports that only five bodies were taken to the local morgue in Belgorod, and no human remains can be seen in videos from the crash site.”

Russia’s deputy ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, rejected the claim, referring to it as “delusional absurdity.”

Some council members cautioned against making assumptions and accusations without solid evidence that has been confirmed.

On Wednesday, a video was shared on social media depicting a plane crashing from the sky while tilted to its side. The plane then exploded into a large fireball upon impact with the snowy ground in Russia’s rural western Belgorod region.

Kharkiv shares a border with Belgorod. The two parties have conducted multiple exchanges of prisoners since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago.

Nuclear concerns

Earlier on Thursday, the leader of the International Atomic Energy Agency provided an update to the council about the current state of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility in Ukraine.

After the closed-door meeting, Rafael Grossi informed journalists that he plans to revisit Ukraine within the next 10 days and will then proceed to Moscow.

The power plant located in Russian-occupied territory has experienced its eighth loss of external power. It has also been a frequent target of conflict, causing concerns about the possibility of a nuclear disaster.

When a reporter asked about the level of danger at Zaporizhzhia on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest level of danger, the head of the IAEA stated that it fluctuates.

Grossi stated that some days may feel like a 10, while others may feel uneventful. The issue lies in the uncertainty caused by being in a state of war.

Margaret Besheer, a correspondent for VOA at the United Nations, provided input for this report. Additional information was sourced from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.