A RUSSIAN military plane has crashed in the west of the country killing four people.

A Russian military aircraft has crashed in the west of the country

The Ilyushin-76 aircraft reportedly burst in flames before crash-landing in a field.

The plane burst into flames in mid-air before crash-landing in a field

Three passengers died in the crash while the survivors were rushed to hospital after being dragged from the blazing wreckage.

A fourth died in hospital while a further five are said to be in a "grave" condition.

It isn't clear yet what equipment the plane was carrying when it crashed.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.