A tragic aviation disaster struck Russia as a military transport aircraft crashed in Crimea, killing all 29 people onboard. The victims include six crew members and 23 passengers, with no survivors reported.
Aircraft Lost Contact Mid-Flight
According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the aircraft lost contact on March 31 at around 6 PM Moscow time while on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula.
Soon after, search and rescue teams were deployed to trace the missing aircraft.
Plane Crashed into Cliff
Officials confirmed that the wreckage was later located, and preliminary reports suggest the plane collided with a cliff.
A source at the crash site told TASS that the impact was severe, leaving no chance of survival for those onboard.
Technical Fault Suspected
Initial findings indicate that the crash may have been caused by a technical malfunction. Authorities have clarified that there was no evidence of hostile fire or external attack on the aircraft.
Investigations are currently underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Another Aviation Tragedy in Russia
This incident comes months after a similar military aviation disaster in December 2025, when another Antonov aircraft crashed during a test flight in the Ivanovo region, killing all crew members onboard.
The back-to-back incidents have raised concerns over the safety and maintenance of aging military aircraft.
