Second Aircraft in 24 Hours: Russian An-26 “Disappears” Over Crimea

Russian forces have lost an An-26 military transport aircraft that was flying over temporarily occupied Crimea.

Several Russian pro-war sources, including Fighterbomber, reported the incident.

The exact circumstances remain unclear. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said contact with the aircraft was lost and claimed the plane “was not hit.”

A technical malfunction or crew error cannot be ruled out as the cause of the loss.

Search-and-rescue units have been dispatched to the presumed crash site. Details of the incident remain unknown for now, but preliminary reports indicate there were about 30 people on board.

It is worth noting that An-26 aircraft have repeatedly been targeted in Crimea.

One of the most notable strikes was recorded in December 2025, when an An-26KPA Kalibrovshchik aircraft was destroyed during takeoff.