74 killed as Russian military transport plane crashes
Russia blamed rival Ukraine for allegedly downing the aircraft
IH News Desk
AGARTALA, January 24, 2024: An Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft crashed in the Korochansky district of the Belgorod region in Russia, approximately 50 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, Wednesday.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, there were 74 people onboard including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers, six crew members and three accompanying individuals. The Il-76, a large four-engine jet transport aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, has the capacity to transport up to 225 equipped troops.
This incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, as just a few months prior in September 2023, drones targeted a Russian airport in Pskov, near the Estonian border, causing damage to four Ilyushin 76 transport aircraft.
Russia and Ukraine were slated to exchange of prisoners Wednesday.
Russian government has blamed the Ukrainian missile fire from air defence system for the plane crash. It lodged a complaint in the UNSC and demanded an urgent meeting.
https://indigenousherald.com/