Good day,
Russian Plane
The video of a crashing Russian IL-76 (Ilyushin Aircraft) striking the ground and the ensuring fireball, indicates where the aircraft came down, and severe impact, but does little to answer key questions about why it crashed and who was onboard.
The plane hit the ground about 100 kilometres from Ukraines border, putting it within firing distance of Ukraine’s air defences.
A smoke trail seen in the video may be evidence of a missile strike and that’s exactly what the Russians are describing as a deliberate shoot down of their plane.
So far the Ukrainian’s have not taken responsibility for the crash, which the Russian’s claim killed 74 people, including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers.
The Russian FSB (Security Services) are in charge of the crash investigation, which means we will never know what really happened or who was really onboard as the FSB is notorious for fake news and spinning events to serve war propaganda purposes.
(Oh did I say war? The Kremlin still calls this bloody conflict “a special military operation” which is nothing short of ridiculous after 2 years of non stop fighting in the largest ground invasion in Europe since WW2)
Russian missile strikes on Ukraine have been escalating with missile attacks Tuesday on Kharkiv and Kyiv killing at least 18 and wounding 130 people.
One missile hit a Kharkiv apartment building, and more than 40 other missiles were fired into Ukraine. Many homes were also damaged and President Zelensky warned of a response saying "The Russian war will surely return home, to where this evil came from... Right there, in Russia”.
Other News…
-Breaking: The UN refugees agency says there is a “mass casualty” event in Gaza as it claims Israels army hit a refugee compound in Khan Younis. In recent days Israel has been pushing deeper into Khan Younis believing leaders of Hamas may be located there along with some of the Israeli hostages still held by the terror group
A UN official tweeted “Fighting is escalating in Khan Younis - the UNRWA Training Centre sheltering 10Ks of displaced people has just been hit - buildings ablaze and mass casualties - safe access to/from the centre has been denied for 2 days - people are trapped”
-Former President Trump won the Republican primary in New Hampshire overnight after earlier winning Iowa. Nikki Haley has declined to step down and says she will fight on as Trump is mired in legal troubles and a criminal conviction could damage his bid to run for President
-With Turkey completing its ratification of Swedens NATO Membership Hungary is the last member of NATO not to have given its approval. Hungary is holding out for “negotiations” on money from the EU, but is under intense pressure to allow Sweden to join the military alliance
-Iraq’s President os condemning overnight air raids by the U.S. on Iran backed militia sites. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes on three facilities belonging to the Kataib Hezbollah militia and other groups were "in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks" on US forces in Iraq and Syria
Dana