Mscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A Russian An-22 military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region northeast of Moscow, reported by the Vesti state television channel on Tuesday, with seven crew members on board.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, an An-22 aircraft crashed in the Ivanovo region, with seven people on board.
Emergency services reported that the status of those on board remains unknown. As reported by TASS, the crash happened close to the Uvodskoye Reservoir, where aircraft debris was discovered floating on the water.
What caused the An-22 to crash during its flight?
Sources indicated that the plane was likely on a test flight after repairs. The Antonov An-22 is a military transport aircraft from the Soviet era, first introduced in 1967. The Russian air force currently has three active aircraft of that type and said in 2024 that their remaining operation would cease.
Moreover, reports suggest that Ukrainian drones frequently strike targets deep within Russia, including Moscow. Over the past two years of the war in Ukraine, Russia has significantly ramped up the movement of troops and military gear via air and land across its territory in Europe.
What similarities exist with previous Russian military crashes?
A similar incident occurred in March 2024, when a Russian military transport plane caught fire and crashed in the Ivanovo region, northeast of Moscow. Footage circulating on social media depicted the IL-76 aircraft descending with one engine ablaze. Additional footage showed a plume of black smoke emerging from the crash site.
“At about 1:00 p.m. Moscow time, an IL-76 military transport aircraft crashed during takeoff for a scheduled flight in the Ivanovo region,”
the Defence Ministry was quoted at that time.
Eight crew members and seven passengers were reportedly on the aircraft. According to TASS, citing an unnamed emergency service official, all 15 on board are believed to have died.
Weeks after an IL-76 plane, which Moscow said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, crashed in a Russian region bordering Ukraine. The Ivanovo region is located more than 700 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
