Moscow: A Russian military transport aircraft crashed in the Crimean peninsula, killing all 29 people on board, including six crew members and 23 passengers, according to official reports.
The aircraft, identified as an Antonov An-26, was on a scheduled flight when it lost contact with authorities around 6 pm on Tuesday. The incident occurred over Crimea, a region annexed by Russia in 2014.
Russian news agencies, citing the Defence Ministry, reported that the aircraft crashed into a cliff shortly after contact was lost. Preliminary assessments suggest the crash was caused by a technical malfunction, with officials stating there was no evidence of external interference.
Sources at the crash site told state-run agencies that the aircraft went down in a rugged area, complicating immediate rescue efforts. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.
The An-26 is a Soviet-era turboprop aircraft widely used for military transport operations. The latest crash adds to a series of aviation incidents involving ageing military aircraft in the region.
