Russian Military Plane Crashes in Crimea, Killing 29

A Russian military transport plane crashed in Crimea on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of all 29 people on board. The An-26 aircraft, a Soviet-designed turboprop, carried six crew members and 23 passengers, according to reports from Russian news agencies.

Details of the Incident

The plane was conducting a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula when contact was lost with the aircraft around 6 p.m. local time. Sources at the crash site, as reported by Tass and RIA Novosti, confirmed the plane impacted a cliff.

Investigation Launched

Russia’s Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal investigation related to flight regulations. A search and rescue operation is currently underway in the mountainous, forested area of the Bakhchisarai district.

Possible Cause and Previous Accidents

The Russian Defense Ministry suspects a technical malfunction may have caused the crash, stating there was no evidence of external interference.

This incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving Russian military aircraft. In December, an An-22 crashed in the Ivanovo region, killing seven crew members. Other recent incidents include crashes of a MiG-31 in Lipetsk (October) and a Tu-22M3 in Irkutsk (April 2025).

Past Tragedies

In October 2022, a Su-34 bomber crashed into a residential area in Yeysk, causing a large fire and resulting in 15 fatalities. These accidents have occurred with increased frequency since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.