A Russian Antonov An-26 military transport plane has crashed into a cliff in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, according to Russia’s defence ministry. The crash is believed to have been caused by a possible technical malfunction.
Russia’s state-run TASS reported that communication with the aircraft was lost at around 6:00pm local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday during a planned military flight over the peninsula. Crimea, a mountainous region sloping down to the Black Sea coast, was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.
No Survivors Reported
According to TASS, a military search team later located the wreckage at the crash site. “Based on information from the scene, six crew members and 23 passengers were killed,” the defence ministry said.
While the ministry did not specify the total number of people on board, it made no mention of survivors, indicating that all occupants of the aircraft perished in the crash.
Technical Failure Cited as Likely Cause
The defence ministry said there was no evidence of external impact on the aircraft, ruling out causes such as missiles, drones, or bird strikes.
“The preliminary cause of the crash is a technical malfunction,” the ministry said, adding that a military commission has been dispatched to investigate the incident.
Officials did not immediately respond to requests for further comment outside normal business hours.
A Long-Serving Aircraft With a Troubled Record
The An-26 is a light tactical military transport aircraft that has been in service since the late 1960s. Designed to carry cargo and up to 40 passengers over short and medium distances, it has long been a workhorse for military forces and cargo operators worldwide.
However, the aircraft model has been involved in multiple fatal crashes over the past decade. In 2022, a Ukrainian An-26 crashed during a technical flight in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing one person. In 2020, another An-26 crashed during a training flight in northeastern Ukraine, killing 26 of the 27 people on board.
The same year, eight people—including five Russians—were killed when an An-26 crashed in South Sudan. In 2017, four of the 10 people on board died when an An-26 crashed while landing in Ivory Coast.
Investigation Underway
As investigators work to determine the exact cause of the Crimea crash, the incident has once again raised questions about the continued operation of aging military aircraft and aviation safety standards in challenging terrain.
Further details are expected once the defence ministry’s investigation commission completes its assessment.
