A Russian military transport plane carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, crashed in western Russia on Wednesday, sparking accusations and denials amidst the ongoing conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry blamed Ukrainian forces for shooting down the Il-76 aircraft, claiming they launched two missiles from the Kharkiv region. Ukrainian officials did not immediately confirm or deny Russia’s claims about the crash in Russia’s Belgorod border region, although they said they were looking into them. They confirmed that a prisoner swap scheduled for that day was cancelled.
The Associated Press was unable to independently verify details about the passengers or the incident due to the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict.
Social media footage depicted a plane descending in a snowy, rural area, with a massive explosion upon impact.
The Russian military stated that the Il-76 transport plane was carrying 65 POWs, a crew of six, and three other passengers. The Russian military claimed that radar detected the launch of two missiles from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region bordering Belgorod. However, the ministry did not provide evidence to support this claim.
Emergency services, including firefighters, ambulances, and police, promptly responded to the crash site in the Korochansky district of Belgorod.
The Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson, Andrii Yusov, acknowledged that a prisoner swap was scheduled for Wednesday but indicated it did not proceed. He mentioned ongoing efforts to verify whether Ukrainian POWs were aboard the downed plane.
The aircraft was en route from the Chkalovsky airfield in the Moscow region to the Belgorod region, where the POW swap was planned near the Russian-Ukrainian border. Russian officials expressed outrage and questioned the possibility of future prisoner swaps. The recent exchange, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, marked the 49th since the conflict began.
The Kharkiv region in Ukraine and Russia’s Belgorod region have been focal points of the conflict, with increased cross-border attacks and heightened tensions.
Prior to the crash, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov had issued a “missile alert” in the region, urging residents to seek shelter.
As of now, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in Ukraine is investigating the crash, cautioning against sharing unverified information.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced the dispatch of a special military commission to the crash site. President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, refrained from commenting due to insufficient information.
The Il-76, designed for troop transport and cargo, has a capacity of up to 225 individuals, according to Russia’s military export agency.
The ongoing conflict, now spanning 700 days, has primarily involved long-range strikes as both sides seek to replenish their weapons stockpiles.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a major Russian missile attack, resulting in 18 deaths and 130 injuries. The attack targeted residential areas in three Ukrainian cities.
Russia’s recent heavy bombardment supports Zelenskyy’s appeals for increased Western military aid. The conflict has witnessed Russia’s use of decoy missiles and Ukraine’s efforts to strike inside Russia with new drone technology.
The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed to have shot down four Ukrainian drones in western Russia, while Germany announced plans to send six Sea King Mk41 helicopters to Ukraine as part of military aid.