Moment Russian military plane ‘carrying 65 Ukrainian POWs’ crashes in huge fireball in border region: Kremlin says aircraft was shot down by ‘missiles used by the West’

This is the moment a Russian military transport plane allegedly carrying 65 Ukrainian POWs nosedived towards a town before crashing and exploding on impact in the region of Belgorod on the border with Ukraine.

Dramatic video shows an out-of-control Ilyushin Il-76 plunging from the sky and smashing into the ground in front of horrified locals in the village of Yablonovo, which is just 26 miles from the Ukrainian border.

As the large 164ft plane slams into the ground, it explodes into a huge fireball that engulfs the 72-tonne jet in flames.

Within minutes of the crash, Russia claimed the military plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew and three people accompanying them, without providing any evidence.

Sources within the Ukrainian military had told local media that the downing of the Russian military aircraft was ‘their work’ and that it was carrying S-300 air defence missiles. But that claim was later retracted.

And Andrei Kartapolov, a member of Russia’s State Duma and a retired general, claimed the plane was shot down by three types of missiles that the West has supplied to Ukraine, without providing evidence. 

He said investigations would reveal whether the missiles were the US-made Patriots or German IRIS-Ts. 

Vyacheslav Volodin, the top lawmaker in Russia’s lower house of parliament, parroted the same line and claimed the plane had been ‘shot down’ by Kyiv and blamed Western missiles.

‘They shot their own soldiers in the air. Their own,’ Volodin told lawmakers in a plenary session. ‘Our pilots, who were carrying out a humanitarian mission, were shot down.’

But Russia’s claims were immediately questioned, with prominent Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko saying he found it hard to believe that only three Russians would be accompanying 65 Ukrainian POWs. 

He also said it’s not likely that Ukraine’s military would ‘have no idea’ that this particular aircraft was carrying their own troops, especially if it was part of such a major prisoner swap. 

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said it was looking into the crash but did not immediately provide any information. Instead, it cautioned against sharing ‘unverified information.’

‘We emphasize that the enemy is actively conducting information special operations against Ukraine aimed at destabilising Ukrainian society,’ it said in a statement on Telegram.

The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed to airlift troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. It usually has a crew of five, and can carry up to 90 passengers. 

Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that an unspecified ‘incident’ had occurred in the region’s Korochansky district, northeast of Belgorod city, and that he was going to inspect the site. 

‘Currently, an investigation team and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are working on the spot,’ he said.

‘I have changed my work schedule and gone to the area. All details later.’

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred around 11am near the village of Yablonovo, but Russian authorities said a special military commission was on the way to the site. 

Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has come under frequent attack from Ukraine in recent months, including a December missile strike which killed 25 people. 

Earlier today there had been a missile threat in Belgorod region and claims Russian air defences shot down an aircraft-style drone flown from Ukraine. 

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a major Russian missile attack that apparently was devised to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences had killed 18 people and injured 130.

The barrage employing more than 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft and guided missiles early Tuesday hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, ‘all ordinary houses,’ Zelensky said on X.

Russia’s onslaught, which included targets in the capital Kyiv and second-largest city Kharkiv, was the heaviest in weeks and lent weight to Zelensky’s appeals for Western allies to provide more military aid.

‘This year, the main priority is to strengthen air defence to protect our cities and towns, as well as defend frontline positions,’ Zelensky said late Tuesday.

With the 930-mile front line largely static amid icy weather and as both sides seek to replenish their weapons stockpiles, the war recently has focused on long-range strikes. 

Analysts say Russia stockpiled missiles to pursue a winter campaign of aerial bombardment, while Ukraine has sought to strike inside Russia with new types of drones.

Russia may have employed decoy missiles in Tuesday’s attack in an effort to open up holes in Ukraine’s air defences, a U.S. think tank said.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Moscow is likely trying to acquire more ballistic missiles from foreign countries, including Iran and North Korea, because they may be more effective in some circumstances.

A further barrage of Russian S-300 missiles struck residential districts of Kharkiv late Tuesday, injuring nine people and damaging residential buildings, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.

Russia denies its forces strike civilian areas, although there is substantial evidence to the contrary.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Oryol region of western Russia early Wednesday.

Oryol Mayor Yuri Parakhin said that several drones were downed over the city. He said there were no casualties, but windows were shattered in several apartment buildings in the city.

Another Ukrainian drone was downed early Wednesday over the Belgorod border region, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov. He said there were no casualties or damage.

Ukraine’s allies have promised to keep sending military aid packages, even though their resources are stretched. Help from the United States, by far Ukraine’s single biggest provider, has also hit political snags.

The German defence ministry announced Wednesday that it plans to send six SEA KING Mk41 multi-role helicopters from Bundeswehr stocks to Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the war military deliveries from Germany have amounted to around 6 billion euros ($6.52 billion), including substantial anti-aircraft and air defence systems, the government said.