Russian military plane crashes with 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board, Moscow announces

A terrible crash. A Russian Il-76 military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed on Wednesday January 24 in the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry announced, according to the country’s agencies. These prisoners were being transported for exchange with Ukraine. “At around 11 a.m. Moscow time (9 a.m. GMT), an Il-76 plane crashed in the Belgorod region (…) On board were 65 captured soldiers of the Ukrainian army, transported to the region from Belgorod for an exchange, six crew members and three attendants”announced the ministry.

“An Air Force commission went to the site of the plane crash to establish the causes of the disaster”, he added. Images circulating on social networks show a device falling almost steeply, before a large explosion, accompanied by flames and black smoke. The Russian ministry has not given any indication at this stage as to the fate of the plane’s occupants.

The head of the parliamentary defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, claimed that the Il-76 plane was shot down by three Patriot or Iris-T missiles, Western air defense systems supplied to Ukraine. Still according to the elected official, another aircraft carrying 80 Ukrainian prisoners was flying at the time of the accident, and it turned around. Ukraine has not reacted yet.