Russian military plane crashes near Ukraine border.

A screengrab taken from video posted to social media shows flames rising from the scene of a plane crash near Yablonovo, in Russia’s Belgorod region, courtesy image.

A Russian military plane with 74 people on board has crashed in the Belgorod region of Russia, near the Ukrainian border, Russian state media reported. The region’s governor said all those on board were killed.
The cause of the crash is not yet clear and there are conflicting accounts about who or what was on board. Russian state media reported that 65 Ukrainian servicemen were on the plane, being flown to Belgorod ahead of a prisoner swap.
But Ukraine’s military said the plane was carrying air defense missiles. CNN has not verified either side’s claims, and has asked Ukraine for comment on allegations it shot down the plane.
Belgorod has come under frequent attacks from Ukraine in recent weeks. At the end of December last year strikes killed at least 25 people, in one of the deadliest single incidents for Russian civilians of the war.

Ukraine’s military command says it regards Russian military aircraft approaching Belgorod as legitimate targets, but stopped short of acknowledging it fired at a Russian transport plane that crashed in the Belgorod region of Russia.

In a carefully worded statement, the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said recent attacks on the city of Kharkiv, which lies just 30 kilometers from Russia, are being facilitated by Russian cargo planes bringing weapons close to the border.

“The recorded intensity of the shelling is directly related to the increase in the number of military transport aircraft that have recently been heading to the Belgorod airfield,” the statement said.

“With this in mind, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to take measures to destroy delivery means and control the airspace to eliminate the terrorist threat, including on the Belgorod-Kharkiv direction.”

Tuesday morning saw one of the deadliest attacks on Kharkiv in weeks, with ten people killed in a missile attack on the city, according to emergency response officials.

The Ukrainian General Staff statement did not address Russian claims the crashed plane was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war ahead of an exchange.

Russian media has reported that a military plane with 74 people on board has crashed in the Belgorod region of Russia, near the Ukrainian border. The region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said all those on board were killed.

But, there are conflicting reports about who or what was on board. Russian state media reported that 65 Ukrainian servicemen were on the plane, being flown to Belgorod ahead of a prisoner swap.

Ukraine says the IL-76 that crashed in Belgorod was carrying missiles for the S-300 air defense system, according to the official Ukrainian information service, quoting a source in the Ukrainian armed forces.

CNN has been unable to independently verify either claim. It has reached out to Ukraine for comment on allegations it shot down the plane.

If you’re just joining us, here’s what we know:

IL-76 plane: The plane that crashed – an IL-76 – is a Soviet-era, long-range freighter plane that has been in service since 1975, according to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. It typically operates with a seven-person flight crew, and can carry around a 50-ton payload, according to the body. They’re not designed as a passenger aircraft.
Yablonovo village: The plane crashed about five to six kilometers from the village of Yablonovo in the Korocha District of Russia’s Belgorod Region, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Belgorod borders Ukraine to its south-west.
Investigators on the scene: 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,” he said.
Ukraine investigating: The Ukrainian government agency that looks after prisoners of war says it is investigating claims a Russian military plane that crashed in Belgorod region was carrying Ukrainian servicemen ahead of a prisoner exchange. A statement provided no extra details, but warned that Russia was trying to destabilise Ukrainian society.
Ukraine confirms exchange plans: Ukraine has confirmed a prisoner swap was due to take place today, but said it was “not happening at the moment.” Prisoner exchanges have taken place throughout the conflict, with the largest yet in early January.
Border 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.
Video of crash: Geolocated video appears to show the final moments before the IL-76 crashed to the ground. The video, filmed in Yablonovo — about 40 kilometers (or about 25 miles) northeast of Belgorod — begins with the plane already in a steep fall. Just before it disappears behind a passing truck and trees, a part of it can be seen falling from the front of the fuselage, then a large large fireball and black smoke emerges from the point of impact.