Moscow, April 1: On Wednesday morning, Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that an AN-26 military transport aircraft crashed in Crimea. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of six crew members and 23 passengers.
According to the TASS news agency, the aircraft collided with a rock. The Xinhua News Agency reported that the Defense Ministry stated the plane was on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula when contact was lost late Tuesday night. Preliminary information suggests that technical failure was the cause of the crash, and there was no indication of an attack on the aircraft.
The ministry noted, “Contact was lost with the AN-26 aircraft during flight over the Crimea region at approximately 6 PM Moscow time on March 31.”
Subsequently, search and rescue teams located the crash site. Reports from the scene confirmed that all six crew members and 23 passengers aboard the aircraft perished.
While the total number of people on board has not been disclosed, there have been no reports of survivors. The AN-26 is a light military transport aircraft that has been in service for several decades, capable of carrying around 40 passengers along with cargo over short to medium distances.
This incident follows a significant military plane crash in Russia in December 2025. On December 9, an Antonov AN-22 crashed during a test flight near the village of Ivanovo, located east of Moscow. The aircraft had taken off after undergoing repairs, indicating it was in a post-repair test phase at the time of the incident.
No survivors were reported in that crash either. Initially, the number of people on board was not disclosed, but it was confirmed that all seven crew members lost their lives. This event marked a significant loss for Russian military aviation.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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