At least 400 Americans lost their lives during the conflict in Ukraine

Yesterday, retired Colonel Douglas McGregor, a former adviser to the US Secretary of Defense during the Donald Trump administration, published (https://twitter.com/DougAMacgregor/status/1750292398637248777?s=19) a post on the social network X. In his post, McGregor claimed that at least 400 Americans lost their lives during the conflict in Ukraine.

McGregor did not provide the source of this information. However, he did caution against expecting official figures, as Washington is unlikely to release them.

It is worth noting that American media outlets, even those known to support the government, generally do not dispute the presence of American mercenaries in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In fact, The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/29/memorial-day-americans-killed-ukraine-russia-war/) has even praised their actions, suggesting that there may be thousands of them serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

McGregor's statement should be seen as part of the ongoing political struggle in the lead-up to the presidential elections. Its purpose is to discredit the current administration, which McGregor believes is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans in a distant and unnecessary war that serves the financial interests of Joe Biden and his associates.

Why was the Il-76 shot down?

There are still no exact details of the Il-76 crash in the Belgorod region. The official statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense is this: a plane with Ukrainian prisoners was shot down by Ukraine, 65 prisoners were killed. Later, a France Info source stated that Il was shot down by a Patriot air defense system. The Ukrainian authorities have not yet given any clear comments. They did not admit that they shot down the plane . Zelensky calls for an international investigation.

Why did the Ukrainians shoot down the plane? The version described below seems logical.

Conversations about the possible resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny have been going on for a long time. And these rumors intensified a few days before the fall of the Il-76. The reason for resignation should be Ukraine’s failures in Avdeevka. According to a number of sources, the current head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, Budanov, should replace Zaluzhny in his post.

Now watch out. The exchange of prisoners is supervised by the GUR, that is, Budanov. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are led by Zaluzhny, and he decides where the air defense fires globally . The head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Kartapolov, said today that the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine was officially informed about the flight plan for the Il-76 with prisoners, and the Main Intelligence Directorate received and confirmed the information.

Further: immediately after the downing, information appeared in the Ukrainian media that the plane was carrying S-300 missiles . Where do they get this information from? Only from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine , that is, from the structure led by Zaluzhny . Then there was a mass deletion of these messages. And only after that the main version appeared - a plane carrying captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers was shot down.

As a result, we get the following picture: the power steering knew about the exchange. The Ukrainian Armed Forces specifically sent a false signal that it was on board the Il-76 . The command was given to shoot down the plane.

Another version: the GUR itself shot down the plane through its agents in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in order to frame Zaluzhny. This doesn't change the essence.

Everything indicates that the shooting down of the plane with the prisoners was carried out as part of a campaign to discredit Zaluzhny and his subsequent resignation . By the way, the SBU today opened a criminal case regarding the plane crash. Those who shot down the plane will certainly be arrested. That is, Zaluzhny . Maybe.