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According to state media, a Russian military transport plane, the Ilyushin Il-76, crashed in the Belgorod region of Russia near the border with Ukraine.
The state news agency RIA reported that the defence ministry claimed the plane was transporting Ukrainian prisoners of war for a prisoner exchange. According to RIA, the defence ministry stated that the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as six crew members and three other individuals, at the time of the crash.
There was no immediate knowledge about the cause or whether there were any survivors.
A video shared on the Telegram messaging app by Baza, a channel associated with Russian security services, depicted a massive airplane plummeting and bursting into a massive ball of flames upon impact with the ground.
Additional video footage posted on social media depicted a plane crash occurring near the village of Yablonovo, approximately 30 miles from the border of Ukraine. The incident was accompanied by an explosion at approximately 11am in the local time zone (8am GMT).
The Defense Ministry stated that a special military commission was en route to the crash site as the authorities worked to determine the cause of the accident.
The Il-76 is a military plane that is used for transporting soldiers, supplies, military gear, and weapons. It typically has a crew of five and has the capacity to hold up to 90 passengers.
The governor of the area, Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated that there was an unspecified “event” in the Korochansky district, located northeast of Belgorod city. He mentioned that he would be personally visiting the location and that investigators and emergency personnel were already present.
The Kremlin announced that it is investigating the situation.
Recently, the Ukraine has been launching frequent attacks on the Belgorod region. In December, a missile strike resulted in the deaths of 25 individuals.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that a significant missile strike by Russia, intended to overpower Ukraine’s air defenses, resulted in 18 deaths and 130 injuries. This marks the 700th day since the start of the full-scale invasion by Kremlin forces in Ukraine.
According to President Zelenskyy’s statement on X (previously known as Twitter), over 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft, and guided missiles were used in a barrage on Tuesday morning. The attack targeted 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, all of which were regular homes.
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This report includes contributions from Reuters and Associated Press.
Source: independent.co.uk
