Media: Russian An-26 Crashed Into A Rock In Crimea

• 1.04.2026, 8:19

The cause of the crash was a "technical malfunction".

A Russian military transport An-26 plane has crashed in Crimea, killing 29 people on board. According to Russian media, citing data from the Russian Defense Ministry, the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction, UNIAN reports.

The TASS news agency reported that communication with the plane was lost around 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday during a routine flight over Crimea, after which the plane crashed into a rock.

Later, a search team found the crash site. Six crew members and 23 passengers were killed, according to a report from the scene. The An-26 can carry up to 40 passengers on board. It is unknown how many people were on board the downed plane, but there is no mention of survivors.

The Russian Defense Ministry said there were "no collisions with the plane," implying that missiles or drones were not involved in the crash.

"The preliminary cause of the crash is a technical malfunction. A military commission is working at the site," the report said.

The An-26 aircraft has been in service since the late 1960s.

Russian Aircraft Crash

It was reported earlier that Russian forces lost a Su-34 fighter-bomber.

Provocative publics of the aggressor country speculated that the board could have crashed while repelling a drone attack. The pilot was probably killed, while the navigator managed to survive.

In turn, Ukrainian media admitted that the Russians could have lost the fighter-bomber during a combat sortie. The enemy uses the Su-34 as a carrier of guided aerial bombs.