29 killed as Russian military aircraft crashes in Crimea, technical glitch suspected

A Russian military plane crashed in Crimea on Wednesday, killing 29 people on board, the country’s defence ministry has said.

According to the Russian news agency Tass, the wreckage of the An-26 aircraft was found in Crimea after it lost contact with authorities during a “routine flight.”

The ministry said that the plane lost control due to a technical glitch, resulting in it crashing into a cliff. Six crew members and 23 passengers were killed in the plane crash.

Tass reported that contact with the aircraft was lost around 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday. The wreckage was later located after a search-and-rescue operation.

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The An-26, a Soviet-era aircraft produced by the Ukrainian aerospace company Antonov, is primarily used for military purposes, including transporting heavy cargo and a limited number of passengers over short to medium distances.

Although the aircraft has been in service since the late 1960s, it has been involved in multiple fatal accidents over the years.

Russia-Ukraine war update

Drone attacks caused fresh damage at Russia’s Baltic port of Ust-Luga, the regional governor said on Tuesday, for the third time in a week.

Russian air defences shot down 38 drones overnight in northwestern Leningrad region, its governor said on social media.

“There is damage at the port of Ust-Luga,” Governor Alexander Drozdenko said, adding three people - including two children - were wounded in the overnight attacks.

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The port on the Gulf of Finland is a key hub for Russia’s exports of fertlizers, oil and coal and has been hit several times in recent days.

Ukraine has intensified retaliatory attacks on Russian infrastructure – including refineries, oil depots and ports – saying they are justified as part of the effort to cut revenues funding Russia’s offensive.

Talks between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United States and aimed at ending the four-year war, have been derailed by fighting in West Asia.

With inputs from agencies