Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed that an An-22 military transport aircraft crashed in the Ivanovo region in the Eastern Europe nation.
Preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft crashed on Tuesday, December 9, during a routine test flight following repairs. According to initial information from a source who spoke to the Russian news agency TASS, seven crew members were on board at the time of the crash.
The Defence Ministry stated that a commission from the Russian Aerospace Forces is en route to the crash site to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Today, in the Ivanovo region, a military transport aircraft, An-22, crashed during a test flight following repairs. The plane crashed in an uninhabited area. A search and rescue team has been dispatched to the crash site to determine the fate of the crew,” the ministry’s statement reads.
Further reports suggest that fragments of the aircraft were later found at the Uvod Reservoir. Officials have not yet released any additional information regarding the crash or possible fatalities.
Antei aircraft
The An-22 “Antei” is the largest turboprop transport aircraft in the world, designed to carry heavy and oversized military equipment.
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It was developed in 1965 in Kyiv as part of the O. K. Antonov Aviation Scientific-Technical Complex. A total of 69 aircraft were produced during the Soviet era, and only a few remain in service today.
Reports indicate that the aircraft involved in this incident may have been the last An-22 still operated by the Russian Defence Ministry.
Russia suffers after bomber accidentally activates ejector seats
This comes just hours after two Russian airmen were killed after they accidentally ejected from their aircraft, which was parked inside a hangar, sending them crashing into a reinforced concrete roof.
The unnamed pilot and navigator reportedly “sustained injuries incompatible with life.”
According to preliminary reports on the December 8 incident, the ejection system on an aircraft belonging to one of Russia’s bomber aviation regiments was accidentally triggered while the aircraft was stationary in its shelter.
Russian propagandist Telegram channel Fighterbomber reported that a state commission is now investigating how the fatal incident occurred.
Ukraine’s Air Force spokesperson, Yurii Ihnat, seized the moment to mock Russia. Reacting sarcastically to the news on Facebook, he wrote:
“I really hope the explosive charges in both ejection seats, which slammed into the reinforced concrete ceiling, caused a ‘small fire onboard’ – or at least triggered some other consequences ‘incompatible’ with further aircraft operation.”
Russian bombers are equipped with ejection seats designed to save pilots when an aircraft is lost in flight.
In normal operations, the ejection sequence begins when the pilot pulls the ejection handle. This action causes the aircraft’s canopy to blow off, clearing the way for the seat to be safely ejected. Once the canopy is gone, a small explosive charge propels the seat upward out of the cockpit.
After the initial burst, a rocket motor ignites to push the seat further away from the aircraft, ensuring the pilot is clear of the fuselage. As the seat stabilizes in the air, a small drogue chute deploys to steady its descent. Finally, the main parachute opens, allowing the pilot to land safely.
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These systems can function at zero height and zero speed, as well as at speeds up to 800 mph. However, mechanical faults, poor maintenance, or battle damage can cause malfunctions, which is believed to be the case in this incident.
Other accidents
This tragedy is the latest in a series of embarrassing and deadly blunders involving Russian forces. In October, a Russian missile exploded inside their own territory in a friendly-fire accident, demolishing an apartment block. The missile was supposed to intercept an incoming Ukrainian drone, but instead slammed into a residential building.
But this was not an isolated mistake. In 2024, a bomb was unintentionally dropped on the rural locality of Soloti, about 40 miles from the Ukrainian border. Five people were injured, and dozens of homes and vehicles were damaged.
In 2023, a Russian Su-34 fighter accidentally dropped a bomb, creating a 70-foot crater. Two women were injured in the blast, one of whom was hospitalized with head wounds.
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