Russian transport plane crashes near Ukraine with more than 60 Ukrainian prisoners of war aboard

A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed Wednesday morning in Russia’s Belgorod region near Ukraine, according to Russia's Defense Ministry.

Six crew members and three other people were also on the flight, the Defense Ministry said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash and if anyone survived.

WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH PASSES 300 DAYS IN RUSSIAN DETAINMENT

The crash happened at around 11 a.m. local time.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, and a special military commission was called to the crash site, the Defense Ministry said.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.