Judging by the fragments seized at the crash site of the Russian Army IL-76 cargo plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) used MIM-104A anti-aircraft guided missiles of the US Patriot missile system, according to the report of the Russian Investigative Committee.
"According to the conclusion of the expert examination carried out during the investigation, the fragments seized at the scene of the crime, in accordance with their construction features, geometric characteristics and available markings, are construction elements of the MIM-104A anti-aircraft guided missile of the US Patriot complex, developed by Raytheon and Hughes corporations and produced by Raytheon," the report said.
Russian investigators said a total of 116 fragments of two anti-aircraft missiles with inscriptions in English were found near the crash site of the IL-76 plane.
Investigators added that they found traces of hexogen with up to 10% octogen in the Il-76 crash, which is not typical of Ukrainian-made explosives.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the investigation into the crash of the Il-76 had determined that the plane had been shot down by a US Patriot missile defense system.
Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that a Russian Il-76 military cargo plane carrying captured Ukrainian servicemen had crashed in the Belgorod region. The POWs were to be handed over to Ukraine at the border in exchange for Russian prisoners. Everyone aboard the plane were reported dead, including the crew.
According to President Putin, Ukrainian intelligence knew that there were AFU prisoners of war aboard the Il-76, but still carried out the attack — either out of carelessness or on purpose, "but in any case it is a crime."