Belgorod governor on Wednesday said all those onboard a Russian military transport plane that crashed in the region have died, according to the reports.
The plane carrying 74 people, crashed in the Belgorod region, reports stated. The cause of the crash is currently unknown.
The Defence Ministry confirmed to the RIA Novosti news agency that the aircraft involved in the incident was Ilyushin Il-76 and it was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war for an exchange involving Russian captives.
According to the Defence Ministry, the crash included 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew members, and three other individuals.
A video posted on the Telegram messenger app by Baza, a channel linked to Russian security services, showed a large aircraft falling towards the ground and exploding in a vast fireball.
The Belgorod region, which shares a border with Ukraine, has reportedly experienced frequent attacks from Ukraine in recent months, including a December missile strike which killed 25 people.
In response to a reporter's question, the Kremlin mentioned that it is currently looking into the situation.
