Russian An-26 military transport plane crashes in Crimea, 29 dead

At least 29 people were killed after a Russian An-26 military transport aircraft crashed into a cliff in Crimea.Russia’s defence ministry said the crash likely occurred due to a technical malfunction. The aircraft was on a planned flight when contact was lost at around 6 pm local time on Tuesday, according to Reuters.A search team later located the crash site. Officials said all six crew members and 23 passengers on board were killed, with no reports of survivors.The ministry added that there were no signs of any external impact on the aircraft, suggesting that factors such as missiles, drones or bird strikes were not involved.A military commission has been sent to investigate the cause of the crash.“There was no impact on the aircraft. The preliminary cause of the crash is a technical malfunction. A commission from the military is working at the site,” the ministry said in a statement.The An-26, a light tactical transport aircraft introduced in the late 1960s, has been widely used for both military and civilian purposes.However, it has been involved in several fatal incidents in recent years, including crashes in Ukraine, South Sudan and the Ivory Coast.