The Russian military transport plane Ilyushin Il-76 crashed today in the Russian region of Belgorod, Reuters reports citing the state news agency RIA, which refers to the Ministry of Defense. A video posted on the Telegram messaging app by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, shows the large craft plummeting towards the ground and exploding in a huge fireball.
Russia says that there were Ukrainian prisoners of war on the plane, reports AP. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be exchanged.
There were also six crew members and three people accompanying them on the plane.
For now, it is not clear what caused the accident, which happened around 11 a.m. It was also not known if anyone survived.
The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed for the air transport of troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. It has a crew of five people and can carry up to 90 passengers. Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the unspecified “incident” took place in the region’s Korochansky district, northeast of the city of Belgorod, and that he would investigate the crash site. He said that investigators and emergency personnel are already on the ground.
In response to a journalist’s question, the Kremlin said it was examining the situation.
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has come under frequent Ukrainian attacks in recent months, including a December rocket attack that killed 25 people.
