Russia says military plane with 65 Ukrainians on board crashed in Belgorod

A Russian Il-76 military cargo plane crashed near Belgorod on Wednesday morning.

According to the Russian defense ministry, the plane was transporting 65 Ukrainian soldiers, six crew members, and three bodyguards on their way to Belgorod for a prisoner exchange. State media said that all passengers are presumed to be dead.

The crash location near the Ukrainian border has been blocked off and is under investigation, according to officials.

The Ukrainian news outlet RBC reported that the accident was the work of the Ukrainian armed forces, citing a military source who stated that the plane was carrying S-300 weapons.

Ukraine’s defense ministry said it was “still investigating” the cause of the crash, according to Ukrainian media.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said: “This is fairly recent, fresh information. We’ll deal with it now.”

Russian military blogger Rybar, operated by a former defence ministry official with close ties to the Kremlin, reported a “launch of an anti-aircraft guided missile at the Russian Il-76 from the direction of Kharkiv from a distance of 130 kilometres (80 miles)”.

The chairman of Russia’s State Duma defence committee, Andrei Kartapolov, claimed that the plane was shot down by missiles supplied by the West.

“‘(The Il-76) was shot down by three Patriot or Iris-T missiles,” Kartapolov said at a State Duma meeting, without supplying evidence.

Mr Kartopolov added that prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine would be suspended.

Local media reported that the plane crashed on open ground close to the village of Yablonovo in Belgorod with “no destruction on the ground”, citing a clergyman from a local church.

Photos circulating on social media appeared to show the aftermath of the crash with plane wreckage in open, snowy fields.

The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed to carry troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. It generally has a crew of five, and can carry up to 90 passengers.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that an unnamed “incident” had occurred in the region’s Korochansky area, northeast of Belgorod city, and that he would visit the scene. He stated that detectives and rescue personnel were already on the spot.

Throughout the war, the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine to the north, was frequently targeted.

A missile attack attributed to Ukraine last month killed 25 people. Kyiv says the area is a launchpad for Russian attacks on Ukraine.