Russia’s Defense Ministry has confirmed that contact was lost with an Antonov An-26 Russian military transport plane over the Crimean Peninsula.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, March 31, at approximately 6:00 PM Moscow time during a scheduled flight.
“On March 31, at approximately 6:00 PM Moscow time, contact with an An-26 military transport aircraft was lost during a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula. There was no damage to the aircraft,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the suspected accident site. The fate of the crew and passengers on board is currently unknown.”
Russian aviation Telegram channel Fighterbomber reported that approximately 30 military personnel were on board the aircraft at the time of the incident. The Defense Ministry has not confirmed the exact number of passengers.
The disappearance triggered an air raid alarm in Sevastopol, Crimea, before the incident was reported.
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It remains unclear whether the loss of the An-26 is connected to ongoing hostilities with Ukraine. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian media claimed that a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bomber had been shot down.
The incident comes as Ukraine has intensified drone strikes against Russian oil export infrastructure, including repeated attacks on the Ust-Luga port in the Gulf of Finland.
Recent Russian aviation accidents
The disappearance of the An-26 adds to a series of aviation disasters involving Antonov aircraft in Russia.
- In July 2025, all 48 passengers and crew aboard an An-24 operated by Angara Airlines died when the plane crashed in poor weather conditions in Russia’s Amur region.
- In July 2021, an An-26 crashed in Kamchatka, killing all 28 people on board.
- In September 2021, another An-26 transport plane crashed in Russia’s far east, killing six people.
Russian aviation safety standards have improved in recent years, but accidents involving aging aircraft remain common, particularly in remote regions with extreme weather conditions.
War
The incident over Crimea comes amid escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On March 31, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Ust-Luga port for the fifth time in 10 days, damaging infrastructure and injuring civilians.
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Ukraine reported shooting down 267 out of 289 drones launched by Russia overnight.
European Union officials, including foreign ministers and EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, on Tuesday visited Kyiv to mark the anniversary of the Bucha massacre.
“Bucha has come to symbolise the cruelty of Russia’s war. The EU is committed to ensuring that these crimes do not go unpunished … Russia must be held accountable for what it has done to Ukraine,” Kallas said.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Moscow would respond if European countries allowed Ukraine to use their airspace to launch drone attacks on Russian ports.
