By Supplying Arms, Western States Criminally Complicit In Downing of IL-76

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Should the information that Western countries supplied weapons used in the downing of the IL-76 Russian military transport airplane is confirmed, they will be implicated as direct participants in this heinous act, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said.

"If this becomes confirmed, then these Western countries which supplied this weaponry, will become direct participants in this crime," Polyanskiy stressed during a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday.

All available information about Ukraine's downing of the Russian IL-76 military transport airplane with Ukrainian POWs on board indicates that this was a premeditated attack, the diplomat emphasized.

"All of the information that we have today shows that we are dealing with a premeditated assault through crime," Polyanskiy told the meeting.

The Kiev regime goes against clear facts and does not take responsibility for downing the Il-76 plane, Polyanskiy highlighted.

“Everything that we have seen so far was a very primitive and cowardly attempt by the representatives of the Kiev authorities to go against the obvious facts and and not take responsibility for this and by doing this, they have got carried away in their lies and are now digging a greater and greater hole for themselves,” the diplomat said.

Russia is also disappointed that members of international organizations pursue “double standards” and refuse to comment on the downing of the Il-76 airplane, he noted.

Moscow will do everything possible to ensure that all those responsible for the Il-76 crash are held accountable, Polyanskiy vowed.