Russia Says Ukraine Downed Plane Carrying Prisoners for Swap

  • Ukrainian captives were being flown for exchange, Russia says
  • Russia alleges Ukrainian missiles downed plane, killing 74
Smoke rises from the scene of an aircraft crash in Belgorod region, Russia, on Jan. 24.

Source: AP Photo

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Russia accused Ukraine of shooting down a military plane it said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners for an exchange.

The IL-76 aircraft crashed in Russia’s Belgorod region on Wednesday, killing everyone on board, including six crew and three Russian soldiers, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said in a statement. Russian radar systems tracked the launch of two surface-to-air missiles from the nearby Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, it said.