IL-76 military transport aircraft.
© Sputnik / Mikhail VoskresenskyIL-76 military transport aircraft.
The IL-76 military aircraft was transporting 65 captured service members for further exchange, the Defense Ministry has said.

A Russian heavy transport plane carrying several dozen Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) has crashed in Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, Moscow has confirmed. Earlier, media reports suggested that all passengers and crew members on board were killed.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that an IL-76 cargo aircraft carrying 65 captured Ukrainian service members as well as six crew members and three people accompanying the POWs went down during a pre-planned flight at around 11am local time. It added that the prisoners were being transported to Belgorod region for an exchange.

Meanwhile, Ukraine-based Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper reported, citing sources in Kiev's military, that the aircraft had been destroyed by Ukrainian forces. However, the outlet reported that the plane had been carrying S-300 air defense missiles rather than prisoners.