Tragic AN-26 Crash in Crimea Claims 29 Lives

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Moscow, April 1: The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed on Wednesday that an AN-26 military transport aircraft crashed in Crimea, resulting in the deaths of six crew members and 23 passengers. According to news agency TASS, the aircraft collided with a rock. Reports from Xinhua News Agency indicate that the aircraft lost contact while on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula 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 stated, “Contact was lost with the AN-26 aircraft during its flight over the Crimea region around 6 PM Moscow time on March 31.” Subsequently, search and rescue teams located the crash site, where it was confirmed that all six crew members and 23 passengers aboard were killed.

While the total number of people on the aircraft 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 another significant military aircraft crash in Russia in December 2025, when an Antonov AN-22 crashed during a test flight near Ivanovo, east of Moscow. That crash also resulted in no survivors, with all seven crew members on board confirmed dead. This incident marks a considerable loss for Russian military aviation.

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