A Russian military transport aircraft crashed on Tuesday during a test flight following repair work, the country’s defence ministry confirmed. Search teams have been deployed to the remote crash site in the Ivanovo region, located around 200 kilometres east of Moscow.
AN-22 goes down in uninhabited area
State media reported that the aircraft involved was an AN-22, one of Russia’s largest military transport planes. According to the defence ministry, the plane went down in an uninhabited area, and an investigation into the cause of the accident has begun.
The TASS news agency reported that seven people were on board at the time of the crash, though their fate remains unknown.
No link to conflict in Ukraine
Authorities indicated that there was no connection between the incident and Russia’s ongoing military operations in Ukraine. The crash occurred during a routine test flight after maintenance work, officials said.
Search operation underway
Emergency and military search crews have been dispatched to the crash location. Investigators are examining whether mechanical issues, human error or repair-related faults may have contributed to the accident