Military Transport Plane Crashes in Crimea, 29 People Killed

A Russian military transport plane, an Antonov An-26, has crashed in Crimea, resulting in the deaths of all 29 people on board. The aircraft was carrying six crew members and 23 passengers.

Contact with the plane was lost on Tuesday, March 31, at approximately 6:00 PM Moscow time. According to Russia's Ministry of Defense, the aircraft was conducting a routine flight over the Crimean peninsula.

In the early hours of April 1, the ministry confirmed that a search and rescue team had located the crash site. Preliminary information indicates that a technical malfunction may have caused the disaster.

A source at the scene reported that the aircraft struck a cliff before crashing.