29 Died in Fresh Plane Crash

A Russian Antonov-26 military aircraft has crashed over the occupied Crimean peninsula, resulting in the deaths of 29 individuals, according to a report by the TASS state news agency.

The Russian defense ministry provided this information on Wednesday.

Additionally, the Russian investigative committee, responsible for handling significant crimes, has confirmed the occurrence of the crash, though it did not specify the number of casualties.

“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.

It has also opened a probe into a flight safety violation.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since administered it as Russian.

According to the TASS report, the defence ministry said that “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.

No signs of external impact were found on the aircraft’s wreckage, according to the TASS report, which indicated at this stage that technical failure likely caused the crash.