A Russian Antonov-26 military plane crashed while flying over the Crimean peninsula, killing 29 people, the TASS news agency reported Wednesday, quoting Russia’s defense ministry.
“On 31 March at around 18:00 Moscow time, contact was lost with the An-26 military transport aircraft whilst it was on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula,” the defense ministry said.
“The search and rescue team has located the crash site of the An-26 aircraft. According to reports from the scene, the 6 crew members and 23 passengers on board were killed,” the ministry added
According to the same source, no signs of external impact were found on the wreckage, suggesting that a technical failure was the likely cause of the crash at this stage.
Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and has since been used by Moscow as a key logistical and military hub for launching strikes and supplying troops for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Further details were not immediately available, and an investigation is underway.