Russian military plane claimed to be carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war crashes, killing 65 people

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.

Video of the crash posted on social media showed a plane falling from the sky in a snowy, rural area, and a massive ball of fire erupting where it apparently hit the ground near the village of Yoblonovo.

In addition to the 65 POWs, the Il-76 transport plane carried a crew of six and three other passengers, the Russian military said.

According to the statement, Russian radar registered the launch of two missiles from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region that borders the Belgorod region.

The ministry called the incident “a terrorist act”.

Ukrainian media has claimed sources within the country’s military have taken responsibility for the crash, saying they targeted the aircraft, which they say was carrying missiles intended for Russia’s S-300 air defence system.

It has not yet been verified what caused the crash, or who or what was on board the plane.

Firefighters, ambulances and police rushed to the site in the Korochansky district of Belgorod, state news agency Tass reported, citing a local emergency services official.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the POWs were being flown to the region for a prisoner swap when the plane was downed at 11.15am local time (8.15am GMT).

Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andrii Yusov confirmed to media that a prisoner swap was to happen on Wednesday, but was not going ahead. He said the agency was checking whether Ukrainian POWs were on the plane.

The plane was en-route to the Belgorod region from the Chkalovsky air field in the Moscow region surrounding the Russian capital, and the POW swap was scheduled to take place later on Wednesday at the Kolotilovka crossing on the Russian-Ukrainian border, the Russian statement read.

Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and Russia’s Belgorod region have long been a focus of the fighting, especially involving long-range air strikes with missiles and drones.

Russia has largely ensured its air dominance during the war, which marked its 700th day on Wednesday, against Ukraine’s fleet of Soviet-era warplanes. But the Russian air force has suffered a string of crashes that some observers have attributed to a higher number of flights amid the fighting in Ukraine.

At the same time, Kyiv has boasted recently about shooting down two Russian command and control planes, which would be a major feat for Ukraine if true.

Cross-border attacks on Russia’s Belgorod region have also been ramped up lately, with the deadliest one killing 21 people in late December.

Shortly before the crash, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his Telegram channel that a “missile alert” had been triggered in the region and warned residents to take shelter.

Ukraine’s Co-ordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said it was looking into the crash, but did not immediately provide any information.

Instead, it cautioned against sharing “unverified information”. “We emphasise that the enemy is actively conducting information special operations against Ukraine aimed at destabilising Ukrainian society,” it said in a statement on Telegram.