A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed near the border between the two countries Wednesday, with Moscow accusing Kyiv of shooting down the plane, Kremlin officials said.
The Russian Ilyushin Il-76 plane was carrying 74 people, including six crew members and three guards designated to deliver prisoners of war in exchange for Russian prisoners, according to the state news agency RIA citing the defense ministry.
Andrei Kartapolov, a member of the Russian parliament, claimed during a parliamentary session today that the plane had been shot down by three missiles.
Details about the cause of the crash and who was on board the plane have yet to be confirmed, with Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War slamming the Russian version of events.
“The enemy is actively conducting information[-based] special operations against Ukraine are aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian society,” the office said in a statement.
Smoke is seen billowing in the sky after a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 crashed near the Ukrainian border on January 24, 2024. Reuters A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane, carrying 74 people, crashed near the Ukrainian border on Jan. 24, 2024. Reuters
A video posted on the Telegram messenger app by Baza, and confirmed by Rueuters, shows the large plane falling from the sky as it flew over the village of Yablonovo in Russia’s Belgorod region.
The plane crashed into the ground and exploded in a violent fireball, reportedly killing everyone on board. 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 attack that killed 25 people in December.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces did not comment on the allegations made by Russia, but the military acknowledged that there had been an increase in attacks directed at Moscow’s air force.
“We currently do not have reliable or comprehensive information about who was on the plane or how many,” Ukraine’s director of state intelligence said in a statement, according to AFP.
The Il-76 is a type of special military aircraft used to help transport aircraft designed to transport troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane, carrying 74 people, crashes near the Ukrainian border on January 24, 2024. social media/e2w
The intelligence office confirmed that the exchange of prisoners was set for Wednesday, but claimed that 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 frequently conducted prisoner exchanges during the war, with prisoners sent by plane, train or vehicle.
A US official told CBS News that there was no clear indication whether Ukrainians were on board the downed plane or if a Kyiv missile had hit the plane.
The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft used to transport troops, cargo, weapons and other military equipment.
It usually has a crew of five and can carry up to 90 passengers.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
