A Russian military plane en route to Ukraine for a prisoner exchange crashed in the region of Belgorod before flying over the border, Moscow announced Wednesday.
"There were 65 captured servicemen of the armed forces of Ukraine on board, 6 crew members of the aircraft and 3 escorts," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry did not provide information on whether there are any survivors.
An investigative team is heading to the crash site to determine the causes of the incident, while ambulances are on the scene, it added.
