Russian transport plane crashes near Ukraine with more than 60 Ukrainian prisoners of war aboard

A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed Wednesday morning in Russia’s Belgorod region near Ukraine, according to Russia's Defense Ministry.

Six crew members and three other people were also on the flight, the Defense Ministry said.

The crash happened at around 11 a.m. local time.

It was not immediately clear what caused the plane to go down or if anyone survived.

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In this photo taken from validated UGC video a warplane flies before a crash at a residential area near Yablonovo, Belgorod region, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Russia says a military transport plane carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, crashed near the border with Ukraine.  (Validated UGC video via AP)

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, and a special military commission was called to the crash site, the Defense Ministry said.

Hours after the plane went down, the ministry released a statement blaming Ukraine. Ukraine has not confirmed any involvement.

"The Ukrainian leadership was well aware that, in accordance with established practice, Ukrainian servicemen would be transported by military transport aircraft to the Belgorod airfield today to be exchanged," the ministry said. "By committing this terrorist act, the Ukrainian leadership has showed its true face. It disregarded the lives of its own citizens."

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, citing the ministry, reported that the POWs were being transported to the border region for a prisoner exchange, according to the Associated Press.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on a call that he could not comment on the crash as he did not have enough information. 

Andrei Kartapolov, a member of the Russian parliament and retired general, claimed during a parliamentary session that the plane had been shot down by three missiles. He did not say where he had obtained that information, Reuters reported. 

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An explosion was filmed at the site where a Russian military transport plane carrying 74 people crashed.  (Reuters)

Video posted on Telegram, a messaging app, showed a large aircraft falling towards the ground near the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region and exploding in a vast fireball. The video was posted by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services. 

Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that an unspecified "incident" had occurred in the region's Korochansky district, northeast of Belgorod city, and that he was going to inspect the site. He said investigators and emergency workers were already on the scene.

The plane was identified as an Ilyushin Il-76, a military transport aircraft used to airlift troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. 

Belgorod region sits on the border with Ukraine and has been attacked by Ukrainian forces several times in recent months, including a December missile strike that killed 25 people.

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In this photo taken from validated UGC video smoke rises from the scene of a warplane crash at a residential area near Yablonovo, Belgorod region, Wednesday, Jun. 23, 2024. (Validated UGC video via AP)

A Ukrainian drone was shot down early Wednesday over Belgorod, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov. There were no casualties or damage, the governor added.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has been under fire from Russia as the front lines of the war have remained static during the winter. Both sides have resorted to long-range missile attacks while they replenish weapons stockpiles, the Associated Press reported.

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On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a major Russian missile attack killed 18 people and injured 130. 

More than 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft and guided missiles hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, "all ordinary houses," Zelenskyy wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.