Russian investigators: downed military plane was hit by Ukrainian missile

Russia's Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes, said on Thursday that the Il-76 military transport plane downed in the Belgorod region on Wednesday had been struck by a Ukrainian-made surface-to-air missile.

In a statement posted on the Telegram messenger app, investigators said that its "preliminary" conclusion was that the Il-76 had been hit by an anti-aircraft missile from the Zenit rocket family, and that it had opened a criminal investigation into the attack.

Russia said on Wednesday that the plane had been carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were to be exchanged for Russian captives. Ukraine has not confirmed the presence of the prisoners onboard the plane. (Writing by Felix Light Editing by Peter Graff)