A Russian military transport plane carrying 15 individuals crashed on Tuesday during takeoff from an air base in the Ivanovo region of western Russia. The aircraft, an Il-76 with eight crew members and seven passengers on board, tragically went down, with the Defense Ministry yet to confirm any survivors.
The Governor of Ivanovo, Stanislav Voskresensky, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and reassured that there was no damage caused on the ground as a result of the crash.
Preliminary reports from the Defense Ministry suggest that an engine fire during takeoff may have been the primary cause of the tragic incident. A team of investigators has been dispatched to Ivanovo to conduct a thorough probe into the crash.
The Il-76, a four-engine heavy-lift transport plane, has been a staple in the Soviet and Russian air force since the 1970s. The aircraft was captured on video heading downward with at least one engine visibly ablaze.
Notably, the crash occurred amidst a series of reported attacks on Russia by Ukrainian drones, with the Defense Ministry highlighting an increase in such incidents as Russian military flights intensified during the conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian drones have previously targeted military air bases within Russian territory.
Military experts have observed a correlation between the surge in Russian military flights and the uptick in aviation accidents, underscoring the heightened risks associated with increased operational tempo in conflict zones.
