The Russian Ministry of Special Incidents reports that there were 65 passengers on board the plane. Russian media reports that these must have been Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense in Russia also confirms that a transport plane has crashed. – There were 65 Ukrainian soldiers, prisoners, who were to be transported to the Belogorod area for exchange, six cabin crew and three companions, reports the Russian Ministry of Defense, according to the Russian news agency RIA. Both Reuters and AFP forward the messages from RIA. A Russian parliamentarian says that the cargo plane was shot down by three missiles, writes Reuters. This map shows where the plane crash is said to have taken place, in Korotshansky, north of Belgorod city. Ukraine does not confirm it is behind The governor of the area, Vyacheslav Gladkov, says there has been an “incident” in the region’s Korotshansky district, northeast of Belgorod city. The Belgorod region is located on the border with Ukraine, and has been quite often hit by Ukrainian attacks in recent months. The Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda writes, with sources in the Ukrainian defense, that there may have been Russian missiles on board the plane. The Ukrainian defense will not confirm that the plane was shot down by Ukrainian missiles. .
ttn-69