A Russian military transport plane has crashed into a cliff in Crimea. Authorities report dozens dead. Investigations are underway, but early reports hint at technical failure, what caused the disaster remains unclear.
A Russian military transport plane has crashed into a cliff in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, according to reports from Russian news agencies early on Wednesday.
The An-26 aircraft, which had lost contact earlier, went down on the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The defence ministry confirmed that 23 passengers and six crew members were killed. No survivors have been reported.
TASS news agency cited the ministry, saying, “The AN-26 aircraft, with which communication was lost earlier, crashed into a cliff.” The crash site has been located, but authorities have yet to provide further details on the exact circumstances.
RIA news agency reported that initial assessments suggest technical problems may have caused the crash. Russian defence officials have not responded immediately to requests for comment outside regular business hours.
The incident raises fresh concerns over the safety of Russian military transport operations, coming amid heightened tensions in the region.
