A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed into a cliff in Crimea, killing 29 people on board, due to a possible technical malfunction, Russia's defence ministry has said.⁣ ⁣ Communication with the aircraft was lost at about 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday on a planned flight over Crimea. The peninsula, covered in sweeping mountains leading down to the coast of the Black Sea, was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.⁣ ⁣ The Russian investigative committee, which handles major crimes, also confirmed the crash, without stating the death toll. ⁣ ⁣ "On 31 March 2026, an An-26 aircraft crashed whilst in flight near the village of Kuibyshevo in the Bakhchysaray district of the Republic of Crimea. There were 7 crew members and 23 passengers on board," the committee said. ⁣ ⁣ It has also opened a probe into a flight safety violation.⁣ ⁣ #russia #plane #crash #crimea #planecrash