Russian An-22 Down in Central Russia — Seven Crew Feared Dead

Rescuers believe the crew of the military transport aircraft Antonov An-22 that crashed in the Ivanovo region likely did not survive, Telegram channel Mash reported. Authorities say the wreckage lies near the Uvod reservoir, and search teams are already hunting for the crew or their remains.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Dmitry A. Mottl, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Antonov An-22 1

Crash and Search Operation

Officials report seven crew members were on board. Emergency services have located only fragments of the aircraft at the crash site so far. Rescuers continue combing the area for signs of the pilots and any survivors.

"The aircraft departed on a flight after maintenance; the crew carried out a post-repair inspection flight,” — according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense.

Aircraft Status and Recent Context

The An-22 "Antei” stands as the world's largest turboprop transport plane, designed to carry heavy and outsized military equipment and personnel over long distances and to perform airdrops. Russian military transport aviation began phasing out the An-22 in 2024, the service's commander Vladimir Benediktov said at the time.

The ministry reported that the aircraft took off after undergoing repairs and that the crew performed a standard post-repair inspection flight. The plane went down in a sparsely populated area, and search-and-rescue teams have deployed to the scene.