The Il-76 aircraft involved in the Belgorod region incident carried captive service members from the Ukrainian armed forces, according to a statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The release confirms the aircraft was transporting prisoners at the time of the event and outlines the military personnel involved in the transfer process.
Officials indicated that the flight carried 65 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel who were in captivity, along with six crew members and three attendants aboard the aircraft. The group was reportedly moved to the Belgorod region as part of an exchange arrangement, according to the ministry’s message.
Information from the directorate places the crash at approximately 11:00 local time. In response, a commission from the Aerospace Forces has been sent to the crash site to conduct a factual examination, establish the sequence of events, and determine the immediate causes of the incident.
Local residents initially reported a military plane crash in the Belgorod region on January 24, with Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor, confirming that the incident occurred in the Korochansky district. Rescue teams and various emergency units have been deployed to the scene, and Gladkov himself traveled to the disaster area to oversee the response efforts.
The Kremlin press office has not issued a public statement on the matter, and it has not confirmed whether the authorities have received a formal briefing about the situation. The absence of an official comment from the central authorities has left observers awaiting additional information from the investigating bodies and military officials.
Earlier reports noted that the pilot of the aircraft involved in a separate incident in Afghanistan, which had been carrying Russian nationals, could face a prison sentence of up to ten years if convicted. This reference highlights ongoing legal and accountability considerations surrounding flights that involve captured individuals and security operations in volatile contexts.