According to Moscow, 29 people were killed when a Russian military plane crashed over the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia.
Apr 01, 2026, 03:32Apr 01, 2026, 03:32
A search and rescue team found the crash site and said six crew members and 23 passengers were killed, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said, according to state news agencies.
A Russian An-26 crashed over Crimea. (symbol image)Image: screenshot x
The cause is believed to be a technical defect; there were no external influences, it was said. The Ministry of Defense had previously announced that it lost contact with the An-26 aircraft at around 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (5:00 p.m. CEST). The ministry did not provide any information about the background to the flight. The Antonov turboprop aircraft are also used by the military as transport aircraft.
Russia has been waging a destructive war of aggression on Ukraine for more than four years. Moscow had already annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, in violation of international law. Ukraine also repeatedly attacks Russian targets in Crimea with drones, among other things. (sda/dpa)