Putin reels as Russian military transport plane crashes killing seven | World | News
A Russian military Antonov An-22 transport aircraft crashed into the Uvodskoye Reservoir in the Furmanovsky District of Ivanovo region on Tuesday, killing all seven crew members on board. The aircraft, operated by the Ministry of Defence, was conducting a scheduled test flight following repairs when the incident occurred at approximately 10am local time. The plane transmitted an emergency signal at 10.15am before disappearing from radar.
Rescue teams located only fragments of the aircraft in the water. Recovery operations continue at the uninhabited site, approximately 160 miles (260 kilometres) north-east of Moscow. An emergency services source told TASS: “According to preliminary information, an An-22 aircraft crashed in the Ivanovo Region. Seven people were on board.”
The Ministry of Defence stated: “Today in the Ivanovo region, during a test flight following repairs, an AN-22 military transport aircraft crashed. The plane went down in an uninhabited area.”
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into possible violations of flight safety regulations. A commission from the Aerospace Forces is examining the wreckage and flight data recorders.
The An-22, the world’s largest turboprop-powered aircraft, entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1967. A total of 68 examples were built.
The Russian Air Force currently operates three active aircraft, with 10 more in storage. In 2024 the Ministry of Defence announced plans to phase out the type.
The lost aircraft was at least 49 years old. Maintenance difficulties and shortages of spare parts have increased in recent years, compounded by sanctions and the demands of sustained military operations.
A previous fatal An-22 accident occurred in December 2010 when an aircraft crashed in Tula region during a test flight involving an emergency descent, killing all 12 on board.
The Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives recorded the cause as the aircraft exceeding its maximum design speed by 68mph (110 km/h).
The latest incident is the second fatal An-22 crash in Russia in 15 years and highlights continuing challenges with ageing Soviet-era transport aircraft.
