Russia blames Ukraine for plane crash that it says killed 74

A Russian military transport plane crashed on Wednesday near the border between Ukraine and Russia, killing everyone aboard. Russia says that there were 65 Ukrainian prisoners on board, along with six crew members and three Russian servicemen. Russia’s claims have not been independently verified.

What was the cause of the crash? Russia alleges that two Ukrainian missiles hit the plane. Ukrainian officials have confirmed that a prisoner exchange was scheduled for Wednesday. They said that Russia did not request that specific airspace be kept safe for a specified period of time, as they had in the past. Ukraine has not confirmed or denied Russia’s allegations, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would push for an international investigation of what happened.

Dig deeper: Read Eric Teetsel’s column in WORLD Magazine about Ukraine funding in Congress.