Il-76, crashed near Belgorod, was transporting S-300 missiles, sources
Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the Belgorod region (Photo: Russian media)
The Russian military transport plane Il-76, which crashed in the Belgorod region, was transporting missiles for the S-300 air defense missile system, according to the RBC-Ukraine's source in the Defense Forces.
According to the interlocutor, this military transport plane was likely transporting missiles for the S-300 systems. As it is known, these are the systems that the Russian army uses to strike Kharkiv and the surrounding region.
What is known about the crash of the Il-76 in the Belgorod region
The reports of the crash of a Russian military transport plane, Il-76, in the Korocha district of the Belgorod region were first reported by Russian Telegram channels.
Before the incident in the Belgorod region, sirens sounded due to "missile danger."
Footage of the plane crash appeared online. Immediately after that, an explosion occurred, and a large flame erupted.
Photo: first footage from the crash site of the Russian Il-76 by Russian media
Local authorities initially only announced an emergency in the Korocha district. But later, Russian public pages wrote that there were allegedly 63 people on board, and all of them died.
In turn, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued its statement. There, they acknowledge that the plane crashed but put forward their version. Allegedly, "65 Ukrainian military personnel were on board," as well as six crew members and three accompanying individuals.
Il-76
Il-76 is a Soviet and Russian heavy military transport aircraft. These aircraft have been in operation since 1975. Il-76 was the first military transport aircraft with a turbojet engine in the history of the Soviet Union. Russia uses these aircraft to transport both personnel and heavy equipment.
According to open sources, this aircraft can carry cargo with a maximum weight of 28-60 tons over a distance of up to 4.2 thousand km at a cruising speed of 770-800 km/h. The crew consists of 6-7 people.
Not the first destruction of Il-76
Previously, the Ukrainian side conducted operations to destroy the Russian military transport plane Il-76. In the summer of last year, two such aircraft were destroyed at the Pskov airfield, and two more suffered serious damage.
