Israel-Hamas War

       Updates Maps Photos Expansion of Tent Camps Inside a Devastated Gaza Where Was Israel's Military?

       Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

       Newsletter

       Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition

       Thursday Briefing: Military Plane Crashes in Russia

       Plus, can the world’s biggest cruise ship be climate friendly?

       Share full article

       Read in app

       By Justin Porter

       Jan. 24, 2024

       You’re reading the Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition newsletter. Get what you need to know to start your day. Get it sent to your inbox.

       Image

       An image from a video posted to Telegram and verified by The Times, showing a large plane crashing and exploding in Belgorod, Russia. Credit...UGC, via Associated Press

       A military plane crashed, killing everybody onboard, Russia said A large Russian military transport plane crashed yesterday in the Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, killing everyone onboard, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

       The ministry said that the plane had been carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be exchanged for Russian service personnel. It accused Ukrainian forces in the nearby Kharkiv region of launching two missiles that struck the aircraft. The plane was also carrying six crew members and three other individuals, the ministry said.

       The claims could not be independently verified.

       Officials in Kyiv did not comment directly on the accusations, but the country’s military intelligence agency hinted at what could have been a tragic mistake, saying that Russia had not informed it that prisoners would be flown to Belgorod’s airport, as had been the case in previous exchanges. The airport is within range of Ukrainian drones and missiles.

       Ukraine’s statement did not deny shooting down the transport plane. The country did say that a prisoner exchange was planned for the day, raising questions about whether it should have assumed that prisoners would be flown into the region.

       NATO: Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary pledged to push legislators to vote for Sweden’s admittance into NATO. He offered no timeline, even though he essentially controls Parliament. The Hungarian leader has repeatedly hampered Europe’s efforts to boost security during Russia’s invasion, and vetoed a $52 billion aid package to Ukraine.

       According to some analysts, the delays put Orban where he likes to be: at the center of attention as a combative defender of national sovereignty, and being courted rather than pushed around by more powerful nations.

       Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.

       Justin Porter is an editor on the Briefings newsletter team at The Times. More about Justin Porter

       Share full article

       Read in app

       Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT