A Russian military plane has crashed in the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, killing 29 people on board, according to the Russian defense ministry.
Wreckage of the An-26 aircraft was discovered after the plane lost contact with authorities during a routine flight. The ministry attributed the crash to a technical failure and reported no external damage, suggesting that missiles or drones are not suspected causes.
Seven crew members and 23 passengers were aboard the aircraft, flying over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russia's Investigative Committee has confirmed the crash and is investigating potential flight safety violations.
Communication with the plane was lost around 18:00 local time, prompting a search and rescue operation that ultimately located the wreckage. Ukraine has not yet commented on the incident.
The An-26 is a Soviet-era aircraft designed primarily for military use to transport heavy cargo and smaller loads over short-to-medium distances. Manufactured by Ukrainian company Antonov, the aircraft has been in service since the late 1960s and has been involved in several serious accidents in the past.
This crash occurs against a backdrop of continuous conflict in Crimea, with ongoing fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces following Russia's full-scale invasion launched four years ago. Ukrainian strikes have predominantly targeted Russian military installations in Crimea, as President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Russia's withdrawal from the region as part of a ceasefire agreement.
