A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed near the border between the two nations Wednesday, with Moscow accusing Kyiv of shooting down the aircraft, Kremlin officials say.
The Russian Ilyushin Il-76 plane was carrying 74 people, including six crew members and three guards who were set to deliver the POWs in exchange for Russian captives, according to state news agency RIA’s quotes from the defense ministry.
Andrei Kartapolov, a Russian lawmaker, claimed during a parliamentary session Wednesday that the plane had been shot down by three missiles.
The details of what caused the crash and who was on board remain unverified, with Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War slamming the Russian version of the events.
“The enemy is actively conducting information[-based] special operations against Ukraine aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian society,” the office said in a statement.
Smoke is seen pluming in the sky after the Russian Ilyushin Il-76 crashed near the Ukrainian border on Jan. 24, 2024. Reuters
The Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane, which carried 74 people, crashed near the Ukrainian border on Jan. 24, 2024. ReutersVideo posted on the Telegram messenger app by Baza, and verified by Rueuters, shows the large aircraft falling out of the sky as it flew over the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region of Russia.
The plane crashes to the ground and explodes in a violent fireball, reportedly killing everyone inside. Russian officials said emergency workers and investigators arrived quickly at the scene.
Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, has been home to frequent attacks from Ukraine in recent months, including a missile strike that killed 25 people in December.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces did not comment on the claims being made by Russia, but the military did acknowledge that there has been an increase in the shellings aimed at Moscow’s aerial forces.
“We currently do not have reliable or comprehensive information on who was on board the plane or in what number,” Ukraine’s national intelligence directorate said in a statement, according to the AFP.
The Il-76 is a special type of military aircraft used to help transport aircraft designed to airlift troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane, which carried 74 people, crashed near the Ukrainian border on Jan. 24, 2024. social media/e2wThe intelligence office confirmed that a prisoner exchange was set for Wednesday, but claimed Ukraine was not informed by what method Russia would transport the prisoners of war or if the airspace in Belgorod should be cleared, “as has been done many times in the past.”
Ukraine and Russia have regularly conducted prisoner exchanges during the war, with the captives delivered by planes, trains or vehicles.
A US official told CBS News that there was no clear indication if Ukrainians were even on board the downed aircraft or if a Kyiv missile had struck the plane.
The Il-76 plane is a military transport aircraft used to airlift soldiers, cargo, weapons and other military equipment.
It typically has a crew of five and can carry up to 90 passengers.
With Post wires
