Russian defence ministry suspects technical malfunction behind disaster
A Russian military transport aircraft crashed over the Crimean Peninsula, killing all 29 people on board after losing contact with air traffic controllers, according to Russian authorities.
The aircraft involved was an Antonov An-26 operated by the Russian military. The plane went off radar while flying over Crimea near the Black Sea before crashing into a mountainous area, Russian state media reported.
Aircraft lost contact before crash
According to Russia’s defence ministry, the aircraft lost communication with controllers around 6 pm local time while operating on a scheduled route.
The incident was reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, which cited defence officials as saying the aircraft likely struck a cliff before going down.
Search and rescue teams later located the wreckage and confirmed there were no survivors.
“Search and rescue teams have located the crash site of the An-26 aircraft. According to reports from the scene, six crew members and 23 passengers on board died,” the defence ministry said.
Technical malfunction suspected
Preliminary assessments from investigators indicate that the crash was likely caused by a technical malfunction rather than external interference.
Officials said there were no visible signs of an attack or damage caused by outside forces.
A specialised investigation committee from the Russian defence ministry has been dispatched to the crash site to analyse debris and determine the exact cause of the disaster.
Authorities are also attempting to recover the aircraft’s black box to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the crash.
Aircraft reportedly seized from Ukraine in 2014
Media reports indicated that the aircraft involved had previously belonged to Ukraine before being seized by Russia following the annexation of Crimea during the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014.
The An-26 is a twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed for troop deployment, cargo transport and medical evacuation missions. The aircraft can carry up to 40 soldiers.
The crash has drawn attention due to the strategic sensitivity of the Crimean region, which remains a key military zone amid tensions related to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.
Investigators are continuing efforts to gather evidence and determine the precise cause of the crash that claimed 29 lives.
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