A Russian military transport aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board in what officials believe may have been a technical failure.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, the Antonov An-26 aircraft lost contact before slamming into a cliff in Crimea early Wednesday morning. News agencies including TASS and RIA reported that there were no survivors.
Initial details indicate that 23 passengers and six crew members were on board. While the exact cause is still under investigation, early assessments suggest a possible technical malfunction. Officials also clarified that there was no external impact on the aircraft, ruling out causes such as missiles, drones, or bird strikes.
The An-26, a light military transport plane introduced in the late 1960s, has long been used for carrying cargo and personnel over short and medium distances. Despite its reliability over decades, the aircraft model has been involved in several fatal incidents in recent years.
Past crashes involving the same aircraft type include accidents in Ukraine, South Sudan, and Ivory Coast, highlighting ongoing concerns about aging aviation equipment and maintenance challenges.
As rescue teams work at the crash site, families of those on board are left grieving, while authorities continue efforts to determine exactly what went wrong in the final moments of the flight.
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