All 65 Passengers Aboard Russian Plane That Crashed Near Ukrainian Border Declared Dead

Belgorod - A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the country's Belgorod region on Wednesday. Citing a press release from the Russian Ministry of Defence, Russian news outlet RIA Novosti reported that the plane crash occurred at around 11 am (local time). The ministry also noted that the aircraft was carrying 65 "captured military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces". All those aboard were killed, according to Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov of the Belgorod region, where the plane went down. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash. Gladkov didn't specify how many people were on the plane or who they were.

According to The Evening Standard, the Il-76 is a military transport aircraft, designed to airlift troops, cargo, military equipment and weapons. While it normally carries a crew of five people, the aircraft has the capability of carrying up to 90 passengers. The authorities noted that there was an addition of six crew members and three “accompanying personnel” on board. However, the actual number of fatalities is yet to be revealed.  

Kremlin reacts

While the Kremlin declined to comment on the reported crash, the Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that it was a piece of new information. “This is quite new information, we will now deal with it. I can’t say anything yet,” Peskov said in a regular press briefing on Wednesday. “An investigative team and Emergency Situations Ministry employees are currently working at the scene. I changed my work schedule and went to the area. All details later," Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov told reporters. Referring to the crash as an incident, Gladkov insisted that the “incident” took place in the Korochansky district of the Belgorod region, northeast of Belgorod City.