Jan 24,2023: A Russian military transport plane crashed in the border region of Belgorod on Wednesday, January 24, claiming the lives of all 74 people on board, as confirmed by Russia’s Defence Ministry.
The ill-fated Ilyushin Il-76 was reportedly carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war (PoWs) who were slated for a swap between Russia and Ukraine. The remaining passengers comprised six crew members and three others.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Governor of the Belgorod region, announced that all 74 occupants of the plane had tragically died. The Ukrainian government has yet to provide an official statement on the incident.
Initial reports from Ukrainskaya Pravda, citing sources, suggested that Kyiv’s armed forces had shot down the aircraft. However, the publication later retracted the claim.
Social media circulated footage capturing the horrifying moment when the plane crashed and exploded in a massive fireball, with subsequent images displaying wreckage strewn across a snowy field.
The Ilyushin Il-76, a Soviet-designed military transport aircraft, is specifically engineered for the airlift of troops, cargo, military equipment, and weapons.
Russian officials swiftly pointed fingers at Ukraine, accusing them of intentionally downing the transport plane.
