Russian An-26 Military Plane Crashes in Crimea, Killing 29; Unconfirmed Reports of Su-34 Loss

Aviation Tragedy in Crimea

A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed during a scheduled flight over occupied Crimea on Tuesday evening, leaving no survivors among the 29 people on board.

Defense Ministry Details

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, communication with the aircraft was lost around 18:00 Moscow time. A search and rescue team subsequently located the wreckage. The ministry confirmed the deaths of six crew members and 23 passengers, explicitly stating that the aircraft had not been subjected to any external strike.

Blogger Reports and Su-34 Rumors

The prominent Russian military aviation blogger known as "Fighterbomber" corroborated the incident, noting the plane was transporting military personnel. In a separate development, the same blogger reported the loss of a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber. However, this claim has not yet been addressed or verified by official Russian authorities.