Six Russian crewmembers, three Russian servicemen and 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile attack targeting an Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter over Belgorod region last Wednesday. The plane was on route to a planned prisoner exchange, which was subsequently cancelled. | The Russian Il-76 transport plane full of Ukrainian PoWs downed over Belgorod region on January 24 was targeted using an American-made Patriot missile system, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced, citing the findings of Russian investigators. 💬 "The plane was shot down by the American Patriot system. This has already been established for certain in an expert review," Putin said, speaking to election campaign surrogates in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Putin accused authorities in Kiev of trying to provoke Russia into a retaliatory response, but emphasized that Russia would not stop prisoner exchanges in spite of the provocation. ● Earlier on Wednesday, Russia's Defense Ministry announced that another 195 Russian servicemen had been returned from Ukrainian captivity and brought to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation in exchange for 195 Ukrainian PoWs.

■ Russia Returns 195 Soldiers From Ukraine-Controlled Territory - MoD (Sputnik News)

31 January 2024: The bodies of 30 Palestinians have been discovered from under rubble at a school ground in the city of Beit Lahia, the northern Gaza Strip, reports said. | Al Jazeera Arabic and Palestinian media reported on Wednesday that the Khalifa bin Zayed elementary school witnessed the discovery following the withdrawal of Israeli troops. There were black body bags tied with plastic cables bearing Hebrew writing. When the Palestinians were killed is unknown. ● In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Club confirmed 💬 “the discovery of the bodies of 30 martyrs inside one of the schools that was besieged by the occupation.” “They were handcuffed and blindfolded, that is, they were under arrest, which is a clear indication that the occupation carried out a field execution against them,” the statement said. The school served as a shelter for thousands of displaced Palestinians before it was bombed and besieged by Israeli forces in early December.

[RE: image on the right: We wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it turned out that the bodies in the bags were the very same men that were abducted on 19 December 2023 (PressTV). Their number would seem to be about the same. - Ed.]

■ New Israeli war crime uncovered: 30 decomposed bodies in Gaza school (Al Mayadeen)

The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned that Iran “will not leave any threat unanswered” as the United States seeks to escalate tensions in West Asia already inflamed by Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. | Major General Hossein Salami made the remarks on Wednesday, after US President Joe Biden said he had decided how to respond to a deadly attack on a US occupation base, for which he held Tehran responsible. “Sometimes, the enemies make threats. And these days too, we hear some threats in the US officials’ rhetoric,” he said at the final session of the national congress of 24,000 martyrs of Tehran Province.

■ No to war but finger on the trigger (Shahrokh Saei)