A military transport plane that Russia said was carrying 74 people, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war to be exchanged, crashed on Wednesday in a border area near Ukraine. According to a Russian regional governor, everyone on board died.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash in the Belgorod region, and The Associated Press could not confirm who was on board. Ukrainian officials warned against sharing unconfirmed information.

A video of the crash posted on social media showed a plane falling from the sky in a snowy rural area and a massive fireball erupting where it apparently hit the ground.

Firefighters, ambulance crews and police officers rushed to the scene in Belgorod’s Korochansky district, state news agency Tass reported, citing a local emergency services official.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the prisoners of war would be transported to the region for a prisoner exchange.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov did not provide any information about who was on the plane.

Two senior Russian lawmakers claimed, without providing evidence, that the plane was brought down by missiles fired by Ukrainian forces.

Russia has largely secured its air sovereignty against Ukraine’s fleet of Soviet-era fighter jets during the war, which marked its 700th day on Wednesday. But the Russian air force suffered a series of crashes that some observers attributed to a higher number of flights during fighting in Ukraine.

At the same time, Kiev recently boasted of shooting down two Russian commando planes, which would be a major achievement for Ukraine if true. Cross-border attacks in Russia’s Belgorod region have also increased recently, with the deadliest attack killing 21 people in late December.

Shortly before the crash, Gladkow said on his Telegram channel that a “missile alarm” had been triggered in the region and urged residents to seek shelter.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said it was investigating the crash but did not immediately provide any information. Instead, it warned against sharing “unverified information.”

“We emphasize that the enemy is actively conducting information special operations against Ukraine aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian society,” it said in a statement on Telegram.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a special military commission was on its way to the crash site. In addition to the prisoners of war, the Il-76 cargo plane was carrying three escorts and a crew of six, the ministry said.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in his phone call with reporters that he could not comment on the crash because he did not have enough information about it.

According to the Russian Military Export Agency, the Il-76 is designed to transport up to 225 soldiers, cargo, military equipment and weapons.

The war’s 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) front line is largely static amid a second winter of fighting. As both sides seek to replenish their weapons supplies, the war has recently focused on long-range attacks.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 18 people were killed and 130 injured in a heavy Russian missile attack on Tuesday.

The barrage, which used more than 40 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and guided missiles, hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, “all normal houses,” Zelenskyy said on X, formerly Twitter.

Russia’s attack, which also included targets in the capital Kiev and the second-largest city Kharkiv, was the heaviest in weeks and gave weight to Zelensky’s appeals to Western allies for more military aid.

“This year, the main priority is to strengthen air defense to protect our cities and towns and defend frontline positions,” Zelensky posted late Tuesday.

Analysts say Russia stockpiled missiles to carry out airstrikes through a winter, while Ukraine tried to attack inside Russia with new types of drones.

Russia may have used decoy missiles in Tuesday’s attack to open gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses, a U.S. think tank said.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Moscow is likely trying to acquire more ballistic missiles from abroad, including Iran and North Korea, because they could be more effective in certain circumstances.

Another barrage of Russian S-300 missiles hit residential areas of Kharkiv late Tuesday, injuring nine people and damaging residential buildings, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Russia denies that its troops are attacking civilian areas, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Oryol region in western Russia early Wednesday.

Oryol Mayor Yuri Parachin said several drones were shot down over the city. He said there were no injuries but that windows in homes were broken.

According to Gladkov, another Ukrainian drone was shot down over the border region of Belgorod early Wednesday. He said there were no injuries or damage.

Ukraine’s allies have promised to continue sending military aid packages even as their resources are exhausted. Aid from the United States, by far Ukraine’s largest single provider, has also led to political problems.

The German Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that it plans to send six Sea King Mk41 helicopters to Ukraine.

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This story has been updated to correct that Zelensky spoke about the death toll from rocket attacks late Tuesday, not Wednesday.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine