Russian An-26 military transport plane crashes in Crimea, 29 dead

Six crew members and 23 passengers were killed when a Russian An‑26 military transport aircraft crashed in Crimea, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed early on Wednesday.

The aircraft reportedly collided with a cliff, according to a source at the scene cited by TASS news agency. The ministry said the plane lost contact during a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula on Tuesday evening.

“On 31 March at around 18:00 Moscow time, contact was lost with the An-26 military transport aircraft whilst it was on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula,” the defence ministry said.

Preliminary investigations indicate a technical malfunction caused the crash, and there is no evidence of hostile fire targeting the aircraft. The ministry added that the search and rescue team had located the crash site, confirming all 29 on board were killed.

The report did not specify the total number of passengers beyond those confirmed dead and made no mention of survivors. The An‑26 is a light tactical transport aircraft that has long served in the Russian military, capable of carrying cargo and up to 40 passengers over short and medium distances.

This incident follows a similar tragedy in December 2025, when a Russian Antonov An‑22 transport plane crashed near the village of Ivankovo in the Ivanovo region during a post-maintenance test flight. All seven crew members on board were killed.

These incidents highlight ongoing safety concerns surrounding Russia’s aging military transport fleet.

With IANS inputs