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By Lawrence Agbo
A Russian Antonov-26 military transport plane crashed over the occupied Crimean Peninsula on Tuesday, killing all 29 people on board, Russian authorities confirmed.
The TASS state news agency cited the Defence Ministry, reporting that the aircraft lost contact around 18:00 Moscow time near the village of Kuibyshevo in Bakhchysaray district.
The crash involved 7 crew members and 23 passengers.
“On 31 March 2026, an An-26 aircraft crashed whilst in flight near the village of Kuibyshevo in the Bakhchysaray district of the Republic of Crimea. There were 7 crew members and 23 passengers on board,” the committee said.
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The Russian Investigative Committee, responsible for probing major incidents, opened an investigation into possible flight safety violations.
Early reports indicate no signs of external impact on the wreckage, suggesting a technical failure may have caused the disaster.
Search and rescue teams located the crash site, confirming that all crew and passengers were killed. Russia has administered Crimea since its annexation from Ukraine in 2014.
“On 31 March at around 18:00 Moscow time, contact was lost with the An-26 military transport aircraft whilst it was on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula.”
“The search and rescue team has located the crash site of the An-26 aircraft. According to reports from the scene, the six crew members and 23 passengers on board were killed,” TASS cited the ministry.
