Russian news sources reported early Wednesday that a military plane crash in Crimea resulted in the deaths of six crew members and 23 passengers, according to the Defense Ministry.
The An-26 military transport aircraft was on a routine flight over the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine back in 2014. Communication with the plane was lost around 6 PM on Tuesday.
The Soviet-era military turboprop crashed into a cliff, as confirmed by sources speaking to the state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti.
Russia’s Investigative Committee noted there were seven crew members and 23 passengers on board. It remains unclear from initial reports if there were any survivors among the crew.
The Investigative Committee has launched a criminal inquiry into potential violations of flight regulations and is conducting searches in the mountainous Bakhchisaray district.
Interfax mentioned that a technical malfunction is suspected as the cause of the crash, adding that there was no evidence of “harmful interference” with the aircraft.
Accidents involving Russian military aircraft have become increasingly common since the Kremlin’s military activities began in Ukraine.
In December, for instance, an An-22 military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region, killing seven crew members. Also in October, a MiG-31 fighter jet went down in the Lipetsk region, and a Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in Irkutsk in April 2025.
One of the most notable incidents occurred in October 2022 when a Su-34 bomber crashed into a residential area in Yeisk, leading to a substantial fire and the deaths of 15 individuals.
