A Russian military cargo plane carrying 15 people crashed on Tuesday as it took off from an air station in western Russia, according to the Defense Ministry. According to the ministry, the Il-76 aircraft, which was carrying eight crew members and seven passengers, crashed in the Ivanovo district. It did not specify whether there were any survivors.
Military experts have noted that as the number of Russian military flights increased sharply during the fighting in Ukraine, so did the crashes
According to the ministry’s statement, the disaster was most likely caused by an engine fire on takeoff. Since the 1970s, the Soviet and then Russian air forces have used the four-engine Il-76 heavy-lift transport plane. Tuesday’s crash occurred on the same day that the Defense Ministry claimed dozens of Ukrainian drone assaults on Russia. Previously, Ukrainian drones struck various military air bases deep inside Russia. Military experts have noted that as the number of Russian military flights increased sharply during the fighting in Ukraine, so did the crashes.
