On Wednesday, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed near the Ukrainian border, the Ministry of Defense said, saying it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners to be exchanged for Russian prisoners.
The plane was carrying 74 people at the time of the crash, including six crew members and three security personnel, RIA quoted the Defense Ministry as saying.
There was no immediate information on the cause.
Andrei Kartapolov, a member of the Russian parliament and a retired general, told parliament that the plane was shot down by three missiles.
He did not specify the source of the information.
Reuters could not immediately confirm details of who was on board, but Russia and Ukraine regularly exchange prisoners.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defense and Air Force did not respond to requests for comment.
A video posted on the Telegram messenger app by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, and verified by Reuters, shows a large aircraft plummeting to the ground near the village of Yablonovo in the Belgorod region, in a vast fireball. It appeared to be exploding.
Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said an unspecified “incident” had occurred in the region's Kolochansky district, northeast of the city of Belgorod, and that he would inspect the scene.
He said investigators and paramedics had already arrived at the scene.
The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed to transport troops, cargo, military equipment, and weapons by air.
It typically has a crew of five and can carry up to 90 passengers.
In response to questions from reporters, the Kremlin said it was investigating the situation.
Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine, has been under frequent attack from Ukraine in recent months, including a missile attack in December that killed 25 people.
