Zelensky says Russia 'playing' with lives of Ukrainian POWs

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Russia was "playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners" after Moscow accused Kiev of downing a military plane carrying dozens of its own captured soldiers.

Kiev confirmed a prisoner swap was due to occur Wednesday, but several hours after the crash said it still had no reliable information on the passengers, as President Volodymyr Zelensky called for an international investigation.

Videos on social media showed a large plane in Russia's western Belgorod region falling from the sky on its side before crashing in a fireball.

Russia's defence ministry said the IL-76 plane was carrying 65 Ukrainian soldiers captured in Russia's offensive, as well as six crew and three escorts.

It claimed Ukrainian forces stationed in the Kharkiv border region had fired two missiles at the transport aircraft and described the incident as a "terrorist act".

"We currently do not have reliable or comprehensive information on who was on board the plane or in what number," Ukraine's main intelligence agency said in a statement.

Zelensky, in an evening address, did not confirm or deny Moscow's accusations, but stressed that Russia was "playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, with the feelings of their relatives and with the emotions of our society."

"We need to establish all clear facts, as much as possible given that the plane crash occurred on Russian territory — beyond our control," he said.

 UN Security Council meeting 

Around the time Zelensky called for an international investigation, the U.N. Security Council agreed to meet Thursday at 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) to discuss Moscow's accusations regarding the plane.

AFP could not...