A Russian Il-76 military aircraft has crashed in Belgorod region. This was reported by Russian public.
It should be noted that the governor of the Belgorod region, Gladkov, wrote about an incident in the Korocha district. It is reported that an investigative team and emergency workers are working at the scene.
Also, local Telegram channels published the moment of the crash of the Russian Il-76 aircraft.
UPDATED
Russian media reports that 63 people were previously on board the plane that crashed. All of them are reported to have died.
UPDATED
Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources in the Defense Forces, reports that a Russian Il-76 near Belgorod was shot down by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It also reports, citing sources in the General Staff, that the plane was transporting missiles to the S-300 systems used by Russia to fire on Kharkiv region.
However, the Russian Defense Ministry has officially stated that there were 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board the downed IL-76, who were being taken for exchange. There were also 6 crew members and three accompanying persons. At the same time, they have not yet officially named the cause of the crash, stating that a commission has arrived at the site to investigate.
UPDATED
Ukraine's Defense Ministry has not yet confirmed that an Il-76 was shot down by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Belgorod region, Suspilne reports. The ministry said that "the information is still being clarified."
Meanwhile, Ukrainska Pravda, which reported that the plane was shot down by Ukraine, has already corrected the article, removing all references to the downing of the plane and the fact that it was "the work of the Ukrainian Armed Forces." Now it simply says that the plane went down.
Also, a source of the Russian telegram channel SHOT states that the exchange of prisoners under the 192-for-192 formula was supposed to take place today on the border of the Belgorod region. But after the "attack on the IL-76" it was canceled.
According to the head of the State Duma's military committee, Kartapolov, another IL-76 with 80 prisoners on board was flying next, and it was turned around. He claims that the first Il-76 was shot down by three Patriot or Iris-T missiles.
