Russian Military Aircraft Crash in Crimea Claims 29 Lives

A military aircraft crashed in a forested mountain region close to Crimea’s capital, Simferopol, according to Russian news agencies. The Antonov An-26 was en route on a scheduled mission across the Crimean peninsula, media reports indicated. The incident resulted in the loss of 29 individuals, including six crew members and 23 passengers.

“According to reports from the scene, the six crew members and 23 passengers on board were killed,” the TASS state news agency said, citing Russia’s Defense Ministry.

Russia’s Investigative Committee also confirmed the crash, though it did not specify the number of casualties. The committee noted that the accident occurred on 31 March 2026 near the village of Kuibyshevo in the Bakhchysaray district of the Republic of Crimea. They stated that a criminal investigation has been initiated into a flight safety violation.

Interfax quoted the Defense Ministry as saying the crash was due to a technical malfunction, with no “damaging interference” involved. Witnesses at the crash site told state media that the plane struck a cliff.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has governed the territory since, located on the Black Sea’s northern coast. The military lost contact with the aircraft around 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday.

Since the Kremlin’s military deployment in Ukraine, several incidents involving Russian military aircraft have been reported. Notable past crashes include an An-22 crash in Ivanovo region, northeast of Moscow, in December last year, which killed seven crew members. In October, a MiG-31 jet crashed in Lipetsk during a landing attempt. Earlier, in December 2024, an Ilyushin Il-76 crashed shortly after takeoff from an airfield northeast of Moscow, resulting in 15 fatalities. In October 2022, a Su-34 bomber crashed into a residential area of Yeysk.