Russian Military Aircraft Carrying 65 Ukrainian POWs Crashes; All Passengers Die

A Russian military aircraft, transporting 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), crashed during its return to the Belgorod Region airfield on Wednesday, as reported by state media citing the defence ministry. The incident, which took place at 11 am local time, is under investigation, and the cause of the accident remains unknown. All 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war are dead.A special military commission is en route to the crash site to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash, according to the defence ministry.

A video circulating on social media captured the plane’s descent near the village of Yablonovo, culminating in an explosion. The defence ministry revealed that among those on board were 65 Ukrainian army servicemen destined for exchange in the Belgorod region, along with six crew members and three escorts.

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In response to the incident, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, accused Kyiv of intentionally downing the plane. Volodin asserted, “They shot their own soldiers in the air. Their own. Our pilots, who were carrying out a humanitarian mission, were shot down.”

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a significant Russian missile attack targeting Ukraine’s air defences, resulting in the loss of 18 lives. This tragic event unfolded on the 700th day since the initiation of the full-scale invasion by Kremlin forces.

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