A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed near the Ukrainian border on Wednesday (January 24) and state news agency RIA quoted the defence ministry as saying it was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war to be exchanged in a swap.
RIA cited the defence ministry as saying that the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, alongside six crew members and three other people, when it crashed. There was no immediate information on the cause.
Reuters could not immediately verify details of who was on board.
Video posted on the Telegram messenger app by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, showed a large aircraft falling towards the ground and exploding in a vast fireball.
Meanwhile, Ukraine-based Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper reported, citing sources in Kiev’s military, that the aircraft had been destroyed by Ukrainian forces. However, the outlet reported that the plane had been carrying S-300 air defense missiles rather than prisoners.
A few minutes later, it removed the mention of Kiev’s role in the downing of the aircraft, stating only that its military sources had confirmed the crash.
Russian MP Andrey Kartapolov said that there were two planes carrying Ukrainian POWs, and that Moscow had to urgently divert the second IL-76, carrying 80 captured troops, out of the danger zone.
Russian media, citing a local priest, said that the plane crashed in fields about 5 to 6 kilometers from the village of Yablonovo, and caused no casualties or damages to people and structures on the ground.
The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed to airlift troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. It has a normal crew of five people, and can carry up to 90 passengers.
