Russian military aircraft with 30 on board crashes in Crimean peninsula

Seven crew members and 23 passengers were aboard a Russian military transport aircraft are feared dead after the plane crashed in Crimea late on Tuesday, news agency AP reported. The An-26 plane was on a routine mission over the Crimean peninsula — a region annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 — when it disappeared from radar at around 6 PM.

Initial reports indicated six crew members and 23 passengers were on board. However, Russia’s Investigative Committee later said the aircraft was carrying seven crew along with 23 passengers. Officials have not clarified if anyone survived.

Interfax news agency, quoting the Defence Ministry, reported that a technical fault is believed to have caused the crash. There was no sign of external interference.

Sources cited by state agencies Tass and RIA Novosti said the aircraft crashed into a cliff. Rescue teams have been deployed to the rugged, forested mountain terrain where the wreckage is believed to be located.

(Further details are awaited)

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