A Russian IL-76, a heavy-lift military transport aircraft crashed with 65 Ukrainian Prisoners of War (POWs) in the Belgorod region of Russia, which borders the region. The POWs were being transported for an exchange in swap. Russia said there are no survivors in the plane crash.
A Russian military Ilyushin-76 plane crashed on January 24, 2024, south of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were about to be extradited were killed in the crash, as well as nine other people on board, including six flight attendants,
“At around 11 am Moscow time (0800 GMT), an IL-76 aircraft crashed in the Belgorod region during a routine flight,” AFP reported quoting Moscow’s defence ministry as saying, “On board were 65 captured Ukrainian army servicemen being transported to the Belgorod region for exchange, six crew members and three escorts,” It said.
“Now an investigation team and emergency services are working on the site. I have changed my working schedule and travelled to the district,” Gladkov said.
The Russian IL-76 is designed to airlift troops, cargo and military equipment like tanks, howitzers, and ammunition. The aircraft was manufactured by Ilyushin and was inducted into service in the 1970s when the USSR existed. The aircraft was designed to replace the An-12 (Antonov 12). The aircraft has a civil and military variant and is operated by the Indian Air Force as well.
The BBC news says that Ukraine confirmed that it shot down the plane because it was carrying the Russian Defense Force’s S-300 missile defense system. Only Ukraine has not said anything about its prisoners of war, which Russia admits it has captured, Footage circulated on social media shows the plane crashing and then exploding as it landed northeast of Belgorod.
Russia says it was aware of the incident but has refrained from giving details. Rescue operations were immediately launched and an investigation was carried out to establish the truth of the incident, which was not shared by both sides.
