A Russian An-26 military transport aircraft crashed in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, Russian news agencies reported, citing the Ministry of Defense.

Rescue teams located the wreckage of the aircraft, confirming the deaths of 23 passengers and six crew members.

Preliminary reports suggest the crash was likely caused by a technical malfunction, with no evidence of external interference found at the crash site.

According to TASS, the aircraft, which had earlier lost contact, went down after colliding with a rocky slope.

RIA Novosti also reported that initial assessments point to technical failures as the probable cause of the incident.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet issued an official statement, according to the reports.