The Russian Defense Ministry said that radar facilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces recorded the launch of two Ukrainian missiles, Sputnik reports.
"The aircraft was attacked by Ukrainian forces from the Liptsy locality of the Kharkiv region using an anti-aircraft missile system. The radar of the Russian Armed Forces observed the launch of two Ukrainian missiles," the ministry said.
The ministry said the plane was shot down at 11:15 a.m. The plane was flying from the Chkalovsky airfield to Belgorod to transport Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange.
"The Nazi regime in Kyiv took this step in pursuit of the goal of blaming Russia for the destruction of the Ukrainian military," the statement said.
On board the plane were six crew members, 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange, and three Russian servicemen accompanying them. All of them died, the ministry said.
"The crew and all passengers of the plane were killed. The Ukrainian leadership knew very well that, according to established practice, today Ukrainian military personnel would be transported by military transport aircraft to the Belgorod airfield for exchange," the statement said.
According to the previously reached agreement, this exchange was to take place in the afternoon at the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
"The Kyiv regime took this step with the goal of blaming Russia for the destruction of the Ukrainian military," the ministry said.
Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said that an Il-76 transport plane of the Russian air forces with 65 Ukrainian prisoners who were being transported for exchange, six crew members, and three accompanying persons crashed in the Belgorod region. Later, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region's head, said that all people on board of the transport plane that crashed were killed.
MNA/PR
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