International Desk: Russia has blamed Ukraine for the crash of a military plane in the Belgorod region of Russia, bordering Ukraine.
According to them, the plane had 74 people on board, including at least 65 Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces. News from Reuters and Taser.
Russia says that the process of prisoner exchange for these Ukrainian soldiers is going on. Ukraine deliberately shot down the plane. The Russian Foreign Ministry called it “brutal terrorist activity” by Ukraine.
The Ilyushin 11-76 military transport plane was carrying six Russian crew members and three Russian soldiers, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It was shot down in Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine.
Ukrainian leaders were well aware that Ukrainian POWs would be flown to Belgorod airfield on Wednesday in a military transport plane for a prisoner exchange, the ministry said in a statement.
According to an earlier agreement, the POW was supposed to be transported to the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the Russia-Ukraine border on Wednesday afternoon. But the Ukrainian leaders have shown their true colors by committing terrorist acts. They have disregarded the lives of their own citizens.
A video aired on a local Belgorod channel shows a plane descending rapidly and bursting into flames after crashing into the ground.
Andrei Kartapolov, a member of the Russian parliament and a retired general, said the plane was shot down by three missiles. However, he did not say anything about where he got this information from.
Russia says the plane was carrying at least 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war to Belgorod for exchange, but Ukraine says the plane was carrying Russian air defense system S-300 missiles.
