Russia's An-22 military transport plane crashes, 7 crew members onboard

Moscow (The Uttam Hindu): News of a major plane crash has emerged from Russia's Ivanovo region. A large An-22 military transport aircraft belonging to the Russian Ministry of Defense has crashed. The accident occurred in the Furmanovsky district, located about 321 kilometers northeast of Moscow. According to initial information, seven crew members were on board the plane at the time of the accident. Emergency service teams were dispatched to the scene as soon as the crash was reported, and rescue operations are underway. However, no official information has yet been shared regarding the condition of the crew members or the exact cause of the accident.

The An-22 that crashed is no ordinary aircraft, but is considered the world's largest turboprop aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s by the Antonov Aeronautical Scientific and Technical Complex in Kyiv. Renowned for its robustness, it is capable of taking off from unpaved runways with ease. Its capabilities can be gauged from the fact that it can carry 60 tons of cargo, 290 soldiers, or 150 paratroopers at a time. Flying at speeds of 650 to 760 kilometers per hour, this aircraft was often used to transport heavy military equipment and cargo to remote areas. A total of 66 such aircraft were built between 1965 and 1976.

Russia has recently seen a spate of aircraft accidents. On September 4th, a light aircraft, the X-32 Bekas, crashed in the Alexander Nevsky district of the Ryazan region, killing the pilot. Last month, in November 2025, the Russian Air Force suffered a major setback when a Su-30 fighter jet crashed in Karelia, killing two pilots. This latest incident has once again raised questions about the safety of Russian military aircraft.