A Russian IL-76 plane has crashed near Belgorod, Russia, Russian state news agency TASS reported Wednesday.
By Rob Picheta, Thom Poole and Antoinette Radford, CNN
Belgorod is a region in south-west Russia, on Ukraine's eastern border.
It borders the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, which has been the scene of intense fighting throughout the war.
In recent weeks, Belgorod has been the centre of Ukrainian strikes, with Russia evacuating citizens concerned about living in the region.
From CNN's Rob Picheta
The region of Belgorod has been increasingly drawn into Russia’s war on Ukraine, with an increasingly emboldened Kyiv launching cross-border strikes on its cities and towns in an effort to dent domestic support for Moscow’s invasion.
Earlier this month, Russia was forced to evacuate residents from the region after a series of retaliatory strikes from Ukraine.
At least 25 people died in late December in Ukrainian strikes on the region, which followed a major aerial bombardment from Moscow on Ukrainian cities.
“People realized there really is a war going on and it’s come now to Belgorod, maybe not for the first time but the most grave and frightening,” a Belgorod resident told Reuters in the wake of the December 30 strike.
Perhaps the most dramatic instance came in May 2023, when the Freedom of Russia Legion – a group of anti-Putin Russian nationals who are aligned with the Ukrainian army – mounted a surprise attack on the region, temporarily taking control of a border post and giving the world dramatic images of Russians taking up arms against the Kremlin.
From CNN's Anna Chernova
The Belgorod governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has said a Russian investigative team and emergency services personnel are at the scene of the plane crash.
"I changed my work schedule and went to the area. All details later," Gladkov said.
Gladkov said the “incident” took place in the Korochansky district of the Belgorod region, north-east of Belgorod City.
From CNN's Andrew Carey
Sixty-five Ukrainian servicemen who were being flown to Belgorod ahead of a prisoner swap were on board the plane that crashed in the region, Russian news agencies reported, quoting Russia’s Defense Ministry.
In addition, there were six crew members and three “accompanying personnel” on board the IL-76, reports said.
CNN has been unable to independently verify the claim.
From CNN's Anna Chernova
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the Russian plane crash in his regular call with journalists on Wednesday, but offered no details.
"This is quite new information, we will now deal with it. I can't say anything yet,” Peskov said, talking about the crash of the IL-76 in the Belgorod region of Russia.
A Russian IL-76 military plane has crashed in the Belgorod region near Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, according to Russia’s RAI Novosti news agency.
The plane had 74 people on board, RIA said.
Follow us for live updates on this developing story.
Belgorod is a region in south-west Russia, on Ukraine's eastern border.
It borders the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, which has been the scene of intense fighting throughout the war.
In recent weeks, Belgorod has been the centre of Ukrainian strikes, with Russia evacuating citizens concerned about living in the region.
The region of Belgorod has been increasingly drawn into Russia’s war on Ukraine, with an increasingly emboldened Kyiv launching cross-border strikes on its cities and towns in an effort to dent domestic support for Moscow’s invasion.
Earlier this month, Russia was forced to evacuate residents from the region after a series of retaliatory strikes from Ukraine.
At least 25 people died in late December in Ukrainian strikes on the region, which followed a major aerial bombardment from Moscow on Ukrainian cities.
“People realized there really is a war going on and it’s come now to Belgorod, maybe not for the first time but the most grave and frightening,” a Belgorod resident told Reuters in the wake of the December 30 strike.
Perhaps the most dramatic instance came in May 2023, when the Freedom of Russia Legion – a group of anti-Putin Russian nationals who are aligned with the Ukrainian army – mounted a surprise attack on the region, temporarily taking control of a border post and giving the world dramatic images of Russians taking up arms against the Kremlin.
The Belgorod governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has said a Russian investigative team and emergency services personnel are at the scene of the plane crash.
"I changed my work schedule and went to the area. All details later," Gladkov said.
Gladkov said the “incident” took place in the Korochansky district of the Belgorod region, north-east of Belgorod City.
Sixty-five Ukrainian servicemen who were being flown to Belgorod ahead of a prisoner swap were on board the plane that crashed in the region, Russian news agencies reported, quoting Russia’s Defense Ministry.
In addition, there were six crew members and three “accompanying personnel” on board the IL-76, reports said.
CNN has been unable to independently verify the claim.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the Russian plane crash in his regular call with journalists on Wednesday, but offered no details.
"This is quite new information, we will now deal with it. I can't say anything yet,” Peskov said, talking about the crash of the IL-76 in the Belgorod region of Russia.
A Russian IL-76 military plane has crashed in the Belgorod region near Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, according to Russia’s RAI Novosti news agency.
The plane had 74 people on board, RIA said.
Follow us for live updates on this developing story.
