A Russian military plane crashed in annexed Crimea on Tuesday evening, resulting in 29 fatalities. The An-26 transport plane was carrying six crew members and 23 passengers during a scheduled flight over the peninsula.
The aircraft lost contact and crashed into a cliff in a mountainous, forested area near Simferopol. Sources at the crash site confirmed the plane impacted a cliff face.
Russia’s defense ministry believes a technical malfunction caused the crash, stating there was no evidence of external interference. Incidents involving Russian military planes have been frequent since the conflict in Ukraine began.
The An-26 is a Soviet-designed turboprop aircraft.