Russian military transport plane crashes
The An-22 aircraft had been conducting a post-maintenance flight, according to the Defense Ministry
A Russian military transport aircraft has crashed while performing a test flight following recent maintenance, the Defense Ministry has reported.
The An-22 Antey aircraft came down on Tuesday in a remote area in Ivanovo Region, 360km (220 miles) from Moscow, the ministry said, adding that a search and rescue team has been dispatched to the crash site to determine the fate of the crew.
A commission from the Russian Air Force will also travel to the location to investigate the circumstances of the crash, the Defense Ministry said.
TASS cited sources as saying that the crash had occurred near the Uvodskoye Reservoir, with parts of the aircraft found in the water. An unnamed source told the agency that the incident had claimed the lives of all seven crew members.
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The An-22 Antey is the world’s largest turboprop aircraft, developed in 1965 in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a maximum payload of around 60 tons and has set 41 world aviation records. It can transport up to 290 soldiers or 29 crew members accompanying cargo over long distances.