A senior Russian air force commander has been confirmed among the fatalities in a military transport aircraft crash in Russian-controlled Crimea, according to official statements reported by Russian media on Monday. The incident resulted in the deaths of thirty individuals, including Lieutenant General Alexander Otroshchenko, who served as the commander of the 45th Army of the Northern Fleet's Air Force and Air Defence.
Details of the Fatal Incident
The An-26 aircraft was conducting a scheduled flight over the Crimean peninsula when military officials lost contact with the plane around 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, was the location of the crash. Sources at the crash site, speaking to state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti, confirmed that the plane plummeted into a cliff face in a mountainous forested area.
Official Statements and Investigation
Russia's Defence Ministry stated shortly after the incident that the preliminary cause was a technical malfunction. The ministry emphasised, "There was no impact on the aircraft," implying that external factors such as missiles, drones, or birds were not involved. A commission from the military is currently working at the site to determine the exact circumstances.
Andrei Chibis, governor of the northern Murmansk region where the Northern Fleet is based, was quoted as confirming Otroshchenko's death. The Investigative Committee has launched a criminal probe on charges of violating flight regulations, and a search operation is underway in the remote area.
History of the An-26 Aircraft
The An-26 model, which has been in service since the late 1960s and is used for both military and freight purposes, has been involved in several deadly crashes over the past decade. Notable incidents include:
- A Ukrainian An-26 that crashed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region in 2022, killing one person.
- Another aircraft of the same model crashed on a training flight in northeastern Ukraine in 2020, resulting in 26 fatalities out of 27 people on board.
- In 2020, an An-26 crash in South Sudan killed eight people, including five Russians.
- Four of ten people on board died when an An-26 crashed on landing in Ivory Coast in West Africa in 2017.
This latest crash adds to a concerning pattern of safety issues with the ageing aircraft, raising questions about maintenance and operational protocols within the Russian military. The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together the events leading to this tragic loss of life.
