A Russian military transport plane, an Ilyushin-76, has crashed in the southern region of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine. The plane had 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board, according to reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense. These captives were allegedly being transported to carry out a prisoner exchange in the Belgorod region. Though these claims cannot be independently verified, officials have indicated that there were also nine other people on the plane, including six crew members.
While Ukrainian media initially speculated that the Il-76 had been brought down by their armed forces, these reports were later deleted. The Ukrainian General Staff, while making no mention of the prisoners of war on board, stated that the aircraft had been carrying missiles destined for Russia’s S-300 air defense systems.
Video footage of the incident shows the plane’s fiery descent, which culminated in a devastating explosion upon hitting the ground. Our photo is from the Moscow Telegram.
The crash occurred near the village of Yablonovo, some 44 miles from the city of Belgorod, at approximately 11:00 local time, or 08:00 GMT.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to provide any information regarding the cause of the accident. Given the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the crash has understandably raised concerns regarding the safety of prisoner exchanges and military transport in the area.
For now, no further details have been released regarding the identities of those on board or the ramifications of the crash. Investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing, and many officials are anxious to see what further information may come to light in the coming hours and days.
