A Russian military transport aircraft, the Antonov An-26, crashed into a cliff in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, according to Russia’s defence ministry.
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The incident occurred during a planned flight over Crimea, a mountainous region along the Black Sea coast. Communication with the aircraft was lost at approximately 6:00pm local time on Tuesday.
State news agency TASS reported that a search team later located the crash site, confirming the deaths of six crew members and 23 passengers. Authorities indicated there were no survivors.
Preliminary findings suggest the crash was caused by a technical malfunction. The defence ministry stated there was no external impact on the aircraft, ruling out factors such as missiles, drones, or bird strikes.
A military commission has been dispatched to investigate the incident and determine the exact cause of the failure.
The An-26, a Soviet-era light transport aircraft introduced in the late 1960s, has long been used for both military and cargo operations. However, it has been involved in multiple fatal accidents in recent years, raising ongoing concerns about the safety of aging aircraft fleets.
