A Russian military plane crashed in annexed Crimea, killing six crew members and 23 passengers, Russian news agencies reported early Wednesday, citing the Defence Ministry. The An-26 transport plane was on a scheduled flight over the peninsula and lost contact around 6 p.m. Tuesday. Interfax quoted the Defence Ministry as saying the crash was believed to be caused by a technical malfunction and that there was no “damaging interference.” Sources at the crash site told Tass and RIA Novosti the aircraft struck a cliff. The An-26 is a Soviet-designed military transport turboprop aircraft.
