A military transport aircraft AN-22 ("Antey") crashed today in the Ivanovo region of Russia. According to preliminary reports, there were seven people on board, of which five were crew members and two were passengers. The aircraft crashed during a routine flight after repairs, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported.
The circumstances of the disaster are under investigation. According to Russian news agencies, the aircraft fell in an uninhabited area near the Uvodskoye reservoir, north of the city of Ivanovo, and debris from the aircraft was found in the water. Emergency services have taken measures to determine the fate of the crew.
Details of the disaster
The AN-22 aircraft that crashed is a prominent representative of military aviation – it is the largest turboprop aircraft in the world, used for transporting heavy equipment and parachuting. The operation of this aircraft lasted over 50 years, indicating its rich history, but also pointing to possible technical failures that could have caused the disaster.
According to information from the publication "Kommersant," the aircraft began to "fall apart" in the air before hitting the ground, resulting in the deaths of all on board. This was the last AN-22 aircraft remaining in operation in Russia due to an overall shortage of transport aircraft.
History of the AN-22
The AN-22 ("Antey") aircraft was first put into operation in 1965, and since then has carried out numerous flights for transporting heavy equipment. Although this aircraft was an important aspect of military logistics, its capabilities have significantly diminished with the emergence of newer models such as the AN-124 and Il-76MF.
Moreover, this disaster draws attention to the issue of the technical condition of fighter jets and transport aircraft in Russia, as many of them are outdated and require urgent replacement.
