On Wednesday, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft crashed near the border with Ukraine.
The state-run RIA news agency reported, citing the Russian defense ministry, that the plane was transporting 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war for a prisoner exchange with Russian captives.
According to the defense ministry, as reported by RIA, the aircraft had 74 individuals on board, including six crew members and three guards. There was no immediate information available regarding the cause of the crash.
Russian parliament member and retired general Andrei Kartapolov claimed during a session of the parliament that the plane was downed by three missiles, though he did not disclose the source of this information.
Reuters has yet to confirm the details of the plane’s passengers. Exchanges of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine are common occurrences.
The Ukrainian defense ministry and Air Force did not immediately respond to inquiries for comments.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the local governor, reported an unspecified “incident” in the Korochansky district, northeast of the city of Belgorod, and stated his intentions to visit the crash site.
He confirmed that investigators and emergency personnel were already present at the location.
The Il-76 aircraft is designed for the transportation of troops, cargo, military equipment, and armaments. It typically has a crew of five and can accommodate up to 90 passengers.
In response to a journalist’s query, the Kremlin announced that it was investigating the incident.
The Belgorod region, which lies adjacent to Ukraine, has experienced several attacks from Ukraine in recent months, including a missile strike in December that resulted in 25 fatalities.
