Video: 65 Ukrainian Prisoners of War on Board Il-76 That Crashed in Russia Set for Exchange

At approximately 11:00 AM Moscow time (12:00 PM Yerevan time), an Il-76 aircraft crashed in the Belgorod region, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the downed Il-76 was transporting 65 captured Ukrainian military personnel who had been moved to the Belgorod district for the purpose of exchange, along with six crew members and three accompanying individuals.

A commission from the Russian Aerospace Forces has been dispatched to the crash site in Belgorod to determine the causes of the incident, the ministry noted.

Earlier, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, reported the incident in the Korochansky district. He mentioned that investigators and emergency services personnel are working at the scene.

Ukrainian media outlets have stated that the downing of the Russian Il-76, reportedly carrying Ukrainian POWs, was a result of an operation by the Ukrainian armed forces. Just before the aircraft was downed, a missile threat had been declared in Belgorod.