Russian plane carrying 65 prisoners of war crashes; no survivors
All passengers on board, including 65 Ukraine prisoners of war (POWs), were killed after a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the southern Belgorod region on Wednesday. Belgorod's regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, confirmed the deaths on his Telegram channel. He stated that the plane crashed in a populated area, and the cause is being probed.
Video showing the alleged crash
6 crew members, 3 passengers also on plane
Aside from the 65 prisoners, the plane was also carrying six Russian crew members and three "accompanying persons." A video shared on Telegram by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, showed a huge aircraft crashing to the ground and exploding in a massive blaze. The Soviet-designed Ilyushin Il-76 is a military transport aircraft capable of transporting personnel, cargo, military equipment, and weaponry.
POWs were being transported for prisoner exchange
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the POWs were being transported to the border region for a prisoner swap. Ukraine and Russia announced the largest prisoner exchange since the start of the war this month. Ukraine said 230 inmates, including serving members of the armed forces and border guards, had been released from Russian custody. Ukraine freed 248 Russian prisoners in exchange.
Russian lawmaker accuses Ukraine of downing plane
Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, accused Ukraine of shooting down the plane. "They shot their own soldiers in the air. Their own," Volodin told lawmakers in a plenary session. "Our pilots, who were carrying out a humanitarian mission, were shot down." Volodin gave no evidence to back up his accusation, and his claim has not been independently verified.
Belgorod is an important stop on Russian supply lines
Belgorod is only half an hour from the Ukrainian border, making it an important stop on Russian supply lines. In December, 25 people were killed and 100 were injured when Ukrainian forces shelled Belgorod. Ukraine, however, insisted that only military infrastructure was targeted and blamed Russian air defenses for fragments falling on the city.
