Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said investigators and emergency workers were already on the scene.
- The plane had six crew members and three other people on board.
- Aircraft designed to transport troops, cargo and military equipment.
- There was no immediate information on the cause.
At least 65 people were killed after a Russian Ilyushin-76 military transport plane crashed on Wednesday south of Belgorod, on the border with Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
russian news agency Ría Novosti He said that among those on board were Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) who would be exchanged in an exchange.
Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said an unspecified “incident” had occurred in the region's Korochansky district, northeast of the city of Belgorod, and that he was going to inspect the site. Reuters reported.
He said investigators and emergency workers were already at the scene.
A video shared on the messaging app Telegram, a channel linked to the Russian security services, showed a large plane falling to the ground and exploding in a fireball.
RIA cited the Defense Ministry as saying that the plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, along with six crew members and three other people, when it crashed.
There was no immediate information on the cause.
The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed to transport troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. It has a normal crew of five and can carry up to 90 passengers.
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has been the target of frequent attacks from Ukraine in recent months, including a missile attack in December that killed 25 people.
More to continue…
