<p>Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said a Russian military plane that crashed near the border with Ukraine on Wednesday was shot down by Ukrainian air defences, whether on purpose or by mistake.</p><p>Moscow accuses Kyiv of downing the Ilyushin Il-76 plane in Russia's Belgorod region and killing 74 people on board, including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers en route to be swapped for Russian PoWs. It has not presented proof.</p><p>Ukraine has not confirmed or denied whether it shot down the plane and has challenged Moscow's account of who was on board and what happened.</p><p>"I don’t know if they did it on purpose or by mistake, but it is obvious that they did it," Putin said in televised comments, his first on the crash.</p><p>"In any case, what happened is a crime. Either through negligence or on purpose, but in any case it is a crime."</p><p>Ukraine disputes Russia's assertion that it was warned in advance that a plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war would be flying over Russia's southwestern Belgorod region at that time. It has also said there were discrepancies in a list published by Russian media of the 65 Ukrainians alleged to have been on the aircraft.</p><p>Putin said the plane could not have been brought down by Russian "friendly fire" because Russia's air defence systems have safeguards to prevent them attacking their own planes.</p><p>"There are 'friend or foe' systems there, and no matter how much the operator presses the button, our air defence systems would not work," he said.</p><p>Putin said the missiles fired were mostly likely American or French, but this would be established with certainty in two to three days. </p>
<p>Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said a Russian military plane that crashed near the border with Ukraine on Wednesday was shot down by Ukrainian air defences, whether on purpose or by mistake.</p><p>Moscow accuses Kyiv of downing the Ilyushin Il-76 plane in Russia's Belgorod region and killing 74 people on board, including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers en route to be swapped for Russian PoWs. It has not presented proof.</p><p>Ukraine has not confirmed or denied whether it shot down the plane and has challenged Moscow's account of who was on board and what happened.</p><p>"I don’t know if they did it on purpose or by mistake, but it is obvious that they did it," Putin said in televised comments, his first on the crash.</p><p>"In any case, what happened is a crime. Either through negligence or on purpose, but in any case it is a crime."</p><p>Ukraine disputes Russia's assertion that it was warned in advance that a plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war would be flying over Russia's southwestern Belgorod region at that time. It has also said there were discrepancies in a list published by Russian media of the 65 Ukrainians alleged to have been on the aircraft.</p><p>Putin said the plane could not have been brought down by Russian "friendly fire" because Russia's air defence systems have safeguards to prevent them attacking their own planes.</p><p>"There are 'friend or foe' systems there, and no matter how much the operator presses the button, our air defence systems would not work," he said.</p><p>Putin said the missiles fired were mostly likely American or French, but this would be established with certainty in two to three days. </p>