A Russian military aircraft has crashed in occupied Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, according to the Russian defence ministry.
The plane, an An-26, went down during what officials described as a routine flight after losing contact with air traffic control. Wreckage was later discovered following a search operation.
Authorities said the crash was likely caused by a technical failure, adding there were no signs of external damage, suggesting it was not brought down by a missile, drone, or other outside factors.
There were seven crew members and 23 passengers on board at the time of the incident. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened an inquiry into possible flight safety violations.
The An-26 is a Soviet-era transport aircraft commonly used for military purposes, including carrying cargo and personnel over short to medium distances. It has been in service since the late 1960s and has been involved in several fatal accidents over the years.
Ukraine has not commented on the crash, which took place in Crimea—a region annexed by Russia in 2014 and still at the centre of ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Fighting in and around the peninsula has continued since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Kyiv repeatedly calling for the return of Crimea as part of any future peace agreement.
