Russian military plane crash kills 29 in occupied Crimea

A Russian military aircraft crashed in Crimea, killing 29 individuals, as reported by the Russian Defence Ministry. The incident occurred during a routine flight, with the plane losing contact with authorities on Tuesday. Wreckage was discovered following a search and rescue operation, according to the ministry.

Technical failure cited as cause

The ministry attributed the crash to a “technical failure,” noting no signs of external damage. This suggests that missiles, drones, or birds were not considered as potential causes.

“The aircraft experienced a technical failure, and no external damage was detected,” said the ministry.

Seven crew members and 23 passengers were on board when the plane flew over the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. News agency Tass reported communication with the plane was lost at about 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

Historical context of the An-26

The An-26, a Soviet-era military transport plane produced by the Ukrainian aerospace company Antonov, has been in service since the late 1960s. Despite its long history, it has been involved in several fatal incidents, including a 2020 crash in Kharkiv that claimed 26 lives, primarily cadets.

In 2021, another An-26 crash in the Russian Far East resulted in 28 fatalities, and in 2022, a single death was recorded in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

Conflict in Crimea continues

Fighting in Crimea has persisted since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian forces have focused their attacks on Russian military installations within the peninsula, which is adjacent to the Russian-occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently called for Russia’s withdrawal from Crimea as part of a ceasefire agreement. In November, a peace proposal backed by the United States suggested Kyiv would transfer control of Crimea to the Russian side.

Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed the crash and stated it had opened an inquiry into a flight safety violation. Ukraine has not issued any comments on the incident.