A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed into a cliff in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board.
The aircraft lost contact before going down on the Black Sea peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The defence ministry confirmed that 23 passengers and six crew members died in the crash. Authorities located the site but have not released details about the exact circumstances.
TASS news agency quoted the ministry, stating that communication with the aircraft had been lost earlier. RIA news agency reported that initial assessments point to technical problems as a possible cause. Defence officials have not issued further comments outside regular hours.
The crash raises serious concerns about the safety of Russian military transport operations. The tragedy comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, intensifying scrutiny of operational standards and technical reliability.
Investigators continue examining the wreckage to determine the precise cause of the disaster. No survivors have been reported, and families of the victims await official updates.
