A Russian Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine, RIA reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. According to Moscow, there were 65 Ukrainian soldiers on board – prisoners of war.
Footage released by the Baza channel, which is affiliated with Russian security services, shows a large plane crashing to the ground and exploding.
The plane crashed at 11 a.m. Moscow time, according to a ministry statement cited by RIA. On board were 65 Ukrainian soldiers – prisoners of war – as well as six crew members and three security guards, the ministry said. Ukrainian Pravda's sources claim that the plane of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was carrying S-300 missiles.
Andrei Kartapolov, a member of the Russian Duma and a retired general, said the Il-76 was shot down by three missiles supplied to Ukraine by the West. He did not provide the source of his information or specify which missiles he was talking about.
Il-76 aircraft
The Il-76 transport aircraft is a four-engine Soviet-made jet designed for the air transport of soldiers, military equipment and weapons. The first examples were delivered to the Soviet Air Force in the 1970s.
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