65 Ukrainian POW killed in Russian plane crash

Communal workers clear rubble in a street in Kharkiv. Pic/AP

A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW), six crew and three people accompanying them crashed on Wednesday morning in Russia's Belgorod region near Ukraine, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred around 11 am. Officials confirmed that everyone on board was killed. A special military commission was on the way to the crash site to investigate the incident, the defense ministry said.

Earlier Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a major Russian missile attack that apparently was devised to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses had killed 18 people and injured 130.

Ukraine is marking the 700th day since the full-scale invasion by Kremlin's forces started. The barrage employing more than 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft and guided missiles early Tuesday hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, "all ordinary houses," Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Moscow is likely trying to acquire more ballistic missiles from foreign countries, including Iran and North Korea, as they may be more effective in some situations.

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