Russian plane crashes in Crimea with 29 people on board

A Russian AN-26 military plane has crashed into a mountain in Crimea, Russia. Rescue workers said that all 29 people on board, including six crew members, have died. According to Tass News, the accident occurred at around 3 am local time on Tuesday (March 31).
A Russian Defense Ministry official told state media Tass that the plane was on a routine training exercise with 29 people on board. Shortly after takeoff, contact with the plane was lost. It was later learned that the plane crashed into a mountain near Crimea. Rescue teams arrived at the scene and launched a rescue operation.
After this incident, questions began to arise, whether the Russian military plane was the victim of an attack by Ukraine? Although the Russian military has dismissed this speculation. Russia claims that it is initially believed that the crash occurred due to a mechanical failure. However, the military is unable to say anything about the cause of the accident until the black boxes are recovered.
This Soviet-era aircraft was primarily used to transport military equipment from one place to another. The aircraft is capable of carrying military equipment and a small number of passengers over short to medium distances. This AN-26 model aircraft has been involved in several accidents before. In 2020, it crashed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, killing 28 people. They all died in that accident. Another plane crashed in 2022.