Russian military cargo plane crashes, killing 15 individuals onboard

A Russian military cargo plane, the Ilyushin Il-76, tragically crashed shortly after takeoff, leading to concerns that all 15 individuals on board may have lost their lives. The incident occurred in the Ivanovo region, and it is speculated that an engine fire may have been the cause. According to Russian digital news outlets, there were no survivors.

Unconfirmed footage circulating on Russian social media platforms depicted a plane descending rapidly with one of its engines ablaze. A helicopter was seen circling a rising column of dark smoke. The Il-76, a four-engine heavy-lift transport aircraft, has been in service with the Russian military since the Soviet period in the 1970s.

On the same day, Ukraine initiated a series of drone strikes on Russia, including the Moscow region, impacting at least one oil refinery. The large-scale aerial assault involved a minimum of 25 drones and seven missiles, as reported by Russia’s defence ministry. A local official confirmed that the attack resulted in a fire at one of the refineries in the world’s second-largest oil exporter.

In their ongoing conflict exceeding two years, both parties have employed drones to target critical infrastructure, military bases, and troop gatherings. In recent times, Kyiv has targeted Russian refineries and energy facilities. Russia’s defence ministry announced that it had intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones over various Russian regions, including Moscow, Leningrad, Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Tula, and Oryol.

Russian local authorities reported assaults on a series of energy facilities. The defence ministry issued a statement saying, “An attempt by the Kyiv regime to execute a terrorist attack using 25 drones on targets within the Russian Federation was thwarted.” There has been no immediate response from Ukraine.

You might also be interested in – No rivals in sight, Vladimir Putin poised for another term in Russia’s ‘managed democracy’