Was Russian Il-76 Plane Carrying Ukrainian POWs Before Crash? What We Know

Conflicting details have emerged in the aftermath of a Russian military plane crash in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine on Wednesday.

Russia's ministry of defense said 65 captured Ukrainian military personnel were on the Il-76 plane heading to the Belgorod region for a prisoner exchange when it crashed near the village of Yablonovo, according to state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

"At about 11.00 Moscow time, an Il-76 plane crashed during a scheduled flight in the Belgorod region. On board there were 65 captured military personnel of the Ukrainian armed forces...six members of the plane's crew and three accompanying persons," Russia's defense ministry was quoted as saying by the country's state-run news agency RIA Novosti.