A Russian military transport aircraft crashed after takeoff in the Ivanovo region, some 200 km northeast of Moscow on Tuesday, killing all 15 people on board.
“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. On board were eight crew members and seven passengers,” the defense ministry said, adding that an engine fire was the likely cause of the crash. The Defence Ministry also noted a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory coinciding with the timing of the incident.
Videos posted on social media show the IL-76 aircraft plummeting to earth with one of its engines ablaze, and thick black smoke emanating from the crash site. The four-engine heavy-lift transport has been in service with the Soviet and subsequently the Russian air force since the 1974.
The crash comes amidst heightened tensions in the region, with increased air traffic due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Although the crash site is over 700 km from the Ukrainian border, the Russian Defence Ministry also noted a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory around the same time. Ukrainian drones have earlier hit some targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow. The Ukrainian Air Force has four of these aircraft.
In January, Russia claimed that Ukraine had downed a similar aircraft transporting 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war near the border. Reports say Russia has lost at least six of the 120 IL-76 aircraft in its inventory since the invasion of Ukraine, and another 14 are being built. The Indian Air Force operates 17 IL-76 MD aircraft, although they are likely to be retired by 2035.
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