A statement from the Defence Ministry of Russia on Tuesday said that a Russian military transport plane caught fire and subsequently crashed in the Ivanovo region, northeast of Moscow. Meanwhile, unverified media reports claimed all 15 onboard the aircraft died in the crash.
Video footage circulating on social media showed the IL-76 aircraft descending toward the ground, its engine ablaze. Another clip showed a column of black smoke billowing from the crash site.
Watch video here:
And another plane crash in Russia. An Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region.
They are having a busy morning on several fronts pic.twitter.com/anJSsP59lX— Olga Lautman (@OlgaNYC1211) March 12, 2024
The Defence Ministry of Russia, as quoted by the state-run TASS news agency, said, “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.”
The aircraft reportedly carried eight crew members and seven passengers. The Defence Ministry attributed the crash to an engine fire that occurred during the takeoff.
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No information was provided regarding casualties by the Defence Ministry. However, TASS, citing an anonymous emergency service official, reported that all 15 individuals aboard the plane were presumed dead.
This incident follows shortly after the crash of another IL-76 plane, which Moscow claimed was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, in a Russian region bordering Ukraine. Notably, the Ivanovo region is situated over 700 km away from the Ukrainian border.
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