A big Russian navy transport aircraft crashed on Wednesday in the Belgorod area close to the border with Ukraine, state information businesses mentioned, citing a press release by the Russian Defense Ministry.
The ministry mentioned that the aircraft carried 65 Ukrainian prisoners of struggle who had been being transferred to the area to be exchanged for Russian service personnel. The declare couldn’t be independently verified. The aircraft additionally carried six crew members and three different people, the ministry mentioned, in response to Tass, a Russian state information company.
The Defense Ministry didn’t say whether or not there have been any survivors.
The Ukrainian navy intelligence company mentioned that it couldn’t instantly remark. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry mentioned that it was trying into the state of affairs and declined to remark, according to Suspilne, a Ukrainian information web site. A Ukrainian Air Force consultant mentioned that the service couldn’t but remark.
Baza, a Russian telegram channel, posted what it mentioned was a video of the crash, exhibiting a big plane dashing towards the bottom with a subsequent explosion producing an enormous fireball.
The aircraft, an Il-76, was designed many years in the past in the Soviet Union to carry out navy duties similar to airlifting troops, cargo and weapons.
Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, declined to touch upon the experiences, telling journalists that the knowledge was nonetheless “too fresh.” The Russian Air Force command dispatched a bunch to the scene of the crash to attempt to decide the trigger, in response to the Defense Ministry assertion.
The Belgorod area of Russia has an extended border with Ukraine. Over the previous few weeks, it has been the scene of frequent Ukrainian assaults, together with a missile bombardment in December.
Andrew E. Kramer contributed reporting.
