This is the moment a Russian military transport plane crashed towards a city before crashing in the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine and exploding on impact.
Dramatic video shows an out-of-control Ilyushin Il-76 plummeting out of the sky and crashing onto the ground in front of horrified locals in the village of Jablonovo, just 26 miles from the Ukrainian border.
As the large 164-foot aircraft hits the ground, it explodes in a huge fireball, setting the 72-ton jet ablaze.
A few minutes after the crash, Russia claimed that the military plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew members and three escorts, without providing 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 defense missiles. However, this claim was later withdrawn.
And Andrei Kartapolov, a member of the Russian State Duma and a retired general, claimed the plane was shot down by three types of missiles supplied to Ukraine by the West, without providing evidence.
He said investigations would show whether the missiles were U.S.-made Patriot missiles or German IRIS-T missiles.
A Russian military transport plane with 63 people on board crashed and crashed today in the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine
Video shows the Ilyushin Il-76 falling from the sky and crashing on the ground in front of horrified locals in Korochansky District this morning
As the large 164-foot aircraft hits the ground, it explodes in a huge fireball, setting the 72-ton jet ablaze
When the 164-foot-long plane crashes, the impact triggers a huge fireball that sets the 72-ton jet ablaze
Pictured: Debris from the crashed Russian military aircraft in the village of Yablonovo
Pictured: Debris from the crashed Russian military aircraft in the village of Yablonovo
Vyacheslav Volodin, the top lawmaker in Russia's lower house, repeated the same line, claiming the plane was “shot down” by Kiev and blaming Western missiles.
“They shot their own soldiers in the air.” “Their own,” Volodin told lawmakers in a plenary session. “Our pilots 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 accompany 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
He also said it was unlikely that the Ukrainian military had “no idea” that this particular plane was transporting its own troops, especially when it was part of such a large prisoner exchange.
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said it was investigating the crash but did not immediately provide any information. Instead, it warned against sharing “unverified information.”
“We emphasize that the enemy is actively conducting information special operations against Ukraine aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian society,” said a statement on Telegram.
The Il-76 is a military transport aircraft designed for air transport of troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. The crew usually consists of five people and can carry up to 90 passengers.
Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said an unspecified “incident” had occurred in the Korochansky regional district, northeast of the city of Belgorod, and that he would inspect the site.
“An investigation team and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are currently deployed 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. near the village of Yablonovo, but Russian authorities said a special military commission was on its way to the scene.
The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has been frequently attacked by Ukraine in recent months, including a missile 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 had shot down an aircraft drone flying from Ukraine.
Dramatic video shows an out-of-control Ilyushin Il-76 falling from the sky (left) and crashing to the ground (right) as horrified locals watched in the village of Jablonovo, just 26 miles from the Ukrainian border.
As the large 164-foot aircraft hits the ground, it explodes in a huge fireball, setting the 72-ton jet ablaze
A Russian military transport plane with 63 people on board crashed and crashed today in the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine
Black clouds of smoke rose from the crash site on Wednesday
Black clouds of smoke rose from the crash site on Wednesday
File image of the Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft in Moscow, Russia
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 18 people were killed and 130 injured in a major Russian missile strike apparently designed to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses.
The barrage of more than 40 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and guided missiles hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities early Tuesday, “all ordinary houses,” Zelensky said on X.
Russia's attack, which also included targets in the capital Kiev and the second-largest city Kharkiv, was the heaviest in weeks and gave weight to Zelensky's calls for Western allies to provide more military aid.
“This year, the main priority is to strengthen air defense to protect our cities and towns and defend frontline positions,” Zelensky said late Tuesday.
With the 930-mile front line largely at a standstill in freezing weather and both sides trying to replenish their weapons supplies, the war has recently focused on long-range attacks.
Ukrainian soldiers remove a camouflage net from their tank before heading to the front line toward Bakhmut, Ukraine, Jan. 23
Ukrainian soldiers from the 41st Brigade walk in a trench near the front line outside Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region on Jan. 23
Analysts say Russia has stockpiled missiles to carry out a winter campaign of airstrikes, while Ukraine has tried to attack inside Russia with new types of drones.
Russia may have used decoy missiles in Tuesday's attack to open gaps in Ukraine's air defenses, 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 abroad, including Iran and North Korea, because they could be more effective in certain circumstances.
Another barrage of Russian S-300 missiles hit residential areas of Kharkiv late Tuesday, injuring nine people and damaging residential buildings, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Russia denies that its troops are attacking civilian areas, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.
The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Oryol region in western Russia early Wednesday.
Oryol Mayor Yuri Parachin said several drones were shot down over the city. He said there were no injuries but that windows were broken in several homes in the city.
Another Ukrainian drone was shot down over the border region of Belgorod early Wednesday, according to the region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. He said there were no injuries or damage.
Ukraine's allies have promised to continue sending military aid packages even as their resources are exhausted. Aid from the United States, by far Ukraine's single largest provider, has also raised political problems.
The German Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that it plans to send six SEA KING Mk41 multi-purpose helicopters from Bundeswehr stocks to Ukraine.
Since the start of the war, military supplies from Germany have totaled around six billion euros ($6.52 billion), including extensive anti-aircraft and air defense systems, the government said.