Military transport plane shot down by pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine

An Il-76 military transport plane has been shot down by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 49 Ukrainian army personnel on board.

According to the BBC, Ukraine's defence ministry said the military transport plane, carrying troops and military equipment, crashed after coming under anti-aircraft fire over Luhansk, just as it was about to land at the city's airport.

Vladislav Seleznov, a Ukrainian military spokesman confirmed that all 49 military personnel on board were killed in the assault.

The ministry condemned the attack and offered condolences to families of those who lost their lives in the attack, saying that "terrorists" had "cynically and treacherously" fired on the aircraft, the report said.

Pro-Russia rebels had earlier launched a series of attacks on Ukrainian forces at Luhansk International Airport.

While the airport has been under the control of government forces, the rebels have taken hold over most of the rest of the city.