Moment when the Russian military transport plane nosedives and crashes in a huge fireball in the border area – as the Kremlin claims there were 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board
- Dramatic video shows the Ilyushin Il-76 plummeting from the sky and crashing
This is the moment a Russian military transport plane nose-dived towards a city before crashing and exploding on impact in the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine.
Dramatic video shows an out-of-control Ilyushin Il-76 plummeting from the sky and crashing into the ground in front of shocked locals in Korochansky district this morning.
As the large, 50-meter plane slams into the ground, it explodes in a huge fireball that engulfs the 72-ton plane in flames.
Within minutes of the crash, Russia claimed that the military plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew members and three accompanying people, without providing any evidence.
But Ukrainian forces later said the Russian military plane was carrying S-300 air defense missiles and that shooting it down was “their job.”
Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said an unspecified “incident” had occurred in the region's Korochansky district, northeast of the city of Belgorod, and that he was going to inspect the site.
A Russian military transport plane carrying 63 people nosedived and crashed today in the Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine
Video shows the Ilyushin Il-76 plummeting from the sky and slamming into the ground in front of shocked locals in Korochansky district
As the 164-foot plane crashes, the impact creates a massive fireball that engulfs the 72-ton plane in flames
“An investigation team and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are currently working on site,” he said.
'I changed my work schedule and went to the area. All details later.'
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred around 11 a.m., but Russian authorities said a special military commission was on its way to the site.
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has come under frequent attacks by Ukraine in recent months, including a rocket attack in December that killed 25 people.
Earlier today there was a missile threat in the Belgorod region and it was claimed that Russian air defenses shot down an aircraft-style drone flown from Ukraine.
This is a breaking news story, more to come…