The Kiev regime shot down the plane, seeking to pin the blame on Russia for the deaths of the Ukrainian POWs, the Russian Defense Ministry stated.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that radar facilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces recorded the launch of two Ukrainian missiles.
The ministry said the plane was shot down at 11:15 a.m. The plane was flying from the Chkalovsky airfield to Belgorod to transport Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange.
“The Nazi regime in Kiev took this step in pursuit of the goal of blaming Russia for the destruction of the Ukrainian military,” the statement said.
On board the plane were six crew members, 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange and three Russian servicemen accompanying them. All of them died, the ministry said.
According to the previously reached agreement, this exchange was to take place in the afternoon at the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
“The Kiev regime took this step with the goal of blaming Russia for the destruction of the Ukrainian military,” the ministry said.
Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said that an Il-76 transport plane of the Russian air forces with 65 Ukrainian prisoners who were being transported for exchange, six crew members and three accompanying persons crashed in Belgorod region. Later, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region’s head, said that all people on board of the transport plane that crashed were killed.
