Russian Transport Plane Carrying 65 Ukrainian Prisoners Crashes... All Dead (Summary)

Russian Defense Chairman: "Shot down in Ukraine missile attack"

A Russian military transport plane crashed in Belgorod, Russia, near the border with Ukraine, killing all on board.

On the 24th (local time), according to major foreign media, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod, Russia, announced that a Russian Air Force Ilyushin (IL)-76 transport plane crashed, and all passengers died.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the transport plane was carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners being transferred for exchange, 6 crew members, and 3 escort personnel.

Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma, also claimed that the cause of the transport plane crash was a missile attack by the Ukrainian military. In fact, a missile alert was issued in the Belgorod area that morning. Chairman Kartapolov said, "Russia and Ukraine were scheduled to exchange 192 prisoners each on that day, but the accident interrupted the process," and added, "Ukraine shot down the transport plane to disrupt the prisoner exchange and blame Russia."

(Moscow AP=Yonhap News) On the 24th (local time), a military aircraft crashed in the Belgorod region of Russia, causing flames. [Video footage capture]

Various internet communities are circulating videos showing a plane crashing in a location presumed to be Belgorod, Russia, causing a massive fire.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side has not yet immediately confirmed the facts. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, stated on Facebook, "There is information regarding the crash of a Russian military transport plane reportedly carrying Ukrainian war prisoners, and we are investigating the circumstances of the incident," and urged, "media outlets and Ukrainian citizens should refrain from drawing hasty conclusions and trust only official sources." He also added, "The enemy is cunning," and "We are well aware of the terrible methods Russia might use to destabilize Ukrainian society."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.