MOSCOW: A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed near the Ukrainian border on Wednesday and state news agency RIA quoted the Defense Ministry as saying it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war to be exchanged for Russian prisoners.
There were 74 people on board the plane, including six crew members and three guards, when it crashed, RIA reported, citing the Defense Ministry. There was no immediate information on the cause.
Andrey Kartapolov, a lawmaker in the Russian parliament and a retired general, said during a parliamentary session that the plane was shot down by three missiles. He did not say what the source of his information was.
Reuters could not immediately verify details of who was on board, but Russia and Ukraine regularly exchange prisoners of war. Ukraine’s defense ministry and air force did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A video posted on the Telegram messenger app Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, and verified by Reuters, shows a large plane crashing to the ground near the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region and exploding in a huge fireball.
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Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the unspecified “incident” took place in the Korokhansky District region, northeast of the city of Belgorod, and that he was preparing to inspect the site. He said investigators and emergency responders were already on the scene.
The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed for the air transport of soldiers, cargo, military equipment and weapons. It usually has a crew of five and can carry up to 90 passengers.
In response to a reporter’s question, the Kremlin said it was investigating the situation.
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has come under frequent attacks from Ukraine in recent months, including a rocket attack in December that killed 25 people.
