Credited from: SCMP
A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed in Crimea, leading to the death of all 29 individuals onboard, including six crew members and 23 passengers, as reported by the Russian Defense Ministry. The crash occurred during a scheduled flight when communication was lost around 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to various state media sources Source1, Source2, Source3, Source4, Source5, and Source6.
The aircraft reportedly crashed into a cliff and initial assessments suggest that technical malfunctions were the likely cause. Noteworthy is that no evidence of external damage has been found, indicating that factors such as missile or drone attacks were not involved. A military commission has been dispatched to oversee the investigation Source1, Source2, Source3, Source4, Source5, and Source6.
This tragic incident marks another of many previously reported crashes involving Russian military aircraft, emphasizing ongoing concerns regarding aviation safety within military operations since the onset of heightened military activity in the region Source1, Source2, Source3, Source4, Source5, and Source6.