A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers for a prisoner exchange crashed near Belgorod, Russia, resulting in the death of all 74 people on board, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Moscow accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down the plane and called it a barbaric act of terrorism. However, Ukraine did not confirm directly that it had shot down the plane.

🚨BREAKING: Russia accused Ukraine of intentionally shooting down a military transport plane and killing all 74 people on board, the majority of whom were Ukrainian POWs en route to a negotiated prisoner swap between Moscow and Kyiv.
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— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) January 24, 2024

Ukraine's military stated that it would continue to target Russian military transport aircraft believed to be carrying missiles for striking Ukraine. Russia's radar operators allegedly detected the launch of two Ukrainian missiles at the time of the crash. The incident comes amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with both countries trading accusations and tight control of information.

Both countries have stepped up attacks and strikes on each other's territories, resulting in civilians becoming victims. The crash of the military transport plane raised concerns about the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine and potential implications for further prisoner swaps and international support for Ukraine. Russia called for an emergency UN Security Council session to address the situation.