Russia has accused Kyiv of shooting down a military transport plane that was carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The plane was en route to the southern region of Belgorod for a planned prisoner exchange when it was brought down in what the Kremlin described as a “terrorist act.” NBC News has not been able to independently confirm the identities of the passengers or the cause of the crash. Ukrainian officials have urged caution in sharing unverified information and have not provided further details.The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the Ilyushin Il-76 was “performing a scheduled flight” to an airfield near the border when it was targeted by an anti-aircraft missile system. The ministry also reported that there were six crew members, 65 Ukrainian military personnel, and three Russian military personnel on board, and that all passengers and crew were killed in the crash. Russia claims that its radar systems observed the launch of two Ukrainian missiles. The Defense Ministry also asserted that the Ukrainian government was aware of the planned prisoner swap and the scheduled flight of the military transport aircraft. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated that it was investigating the crash and warned against spreading unverified information, citing active enemy information operations aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian society.Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence, confirmed that a prisoner exchange was supposed to take place on the day of the crash, but it had been postponed. Both countries regularly conduct prisoner exchanges despite ongoing conflict in eastern and southern Ukraine. Andrey Kartapolov, chair of the Russian parliament’s defense committee, claimed that the plane was shot down by three air defense missiles supplied to Ukraine by its Western allies. He alleged that the Ukrainian leadership was aware of the planned exchange and the method of prisoner delivery, without providing further details. Western regions of Russia, including Belgorod, have been subject to frequent attacks in recent weeks, with Russian officials accusing Kyiv of carrying out the strikes. Ukrainian officials seldom publicly acknowledge responsibility for these attacks. Belgorod, located about 60 miles north of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has a population of around 340,000 people. Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital, based in London.
