Russian military aircraft crashes in ivanovo region with seven crew on board

A Russian An-22 military transport aircraft crashed in the Ivanovo region northeast of Moscow on Tuesday, December 9, with seven crew members on board, the Vesti state television channel reported.

The cause of the crash and any casualties have not been confirmed yet.

The aircraft, operated by Russia’s Ministry of Defence, was reported to have crashed into a waterbody. The news portal UNN stated that there was still no information available on whether any crew members had survived.

An-22 aircraft

The Antonov An-22, a Russian-made heavy military transport aircraft, first flew in 1965 and was designed specifically for large cargo movements. The official Antonov website notes its high flight performance and capacity to operate from unpaved runways, enabling the USSR to deliver sizeable equipment to remote regions.

The company also records that 66 aircraft were manufactured between 1965 and 1976. From 1980, the Antei variant was used to transport oversized components for the construction of the AN-124 Ruslan and AN-225 Mriya.

(This is a developing story.)