Moscow/Crimea, April 1, 2026 — A Russian An-26 military transport aircraft crashed in occupied Crimea on Tuesday evening, killing all 29 people aboard, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
The plane was on a scheduled (routine) flight over the Crimean Peninsula when contact was lost around 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (15:00 GMT) on March 31. Search and rescue teams located the wreckage shortly afterward, with reports indicating the aircraft struck a cliff in the region’s mountainous terrain near the Black Sea coast.
According to the ministry, the aircraft was carrying 23 passengers and six crew members — all military personnel. No survivors were found.
Preliminary investigations point to a possible technical malfunction as the cause. Officials have ruled out external factors such as enemy action, and a special military commission has been dispatched to the crash site for a full investigation. Details on the plane’s maintenance history or exact flight path have not yet been released.
The Antonov An-26 is a Soviet-era twin-turboprop transport aircraft, widely used by the Russian military for cargo and troop movements over short-to-medium distances. The type has a long service history but has been involved in multiple accidents over the decades.
Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, remains a strategically important but contested region amid the ongoing conflict. Russian authorities have described the flight as routine and not linked to combat operations.
This incident marks the latest in a series of Russian military aviation accidents, though no further connections have been established.
The Defence Ministry and Investigative Committee are continuing their probe, with updates expected in the coming days.
Sources: Reuters, BBC, The Guardian, TASS, and other reports citing Russia’s Defence Ministry.
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