A Russian military plane, an Il-76MD Candid crashed due to an engine fire that started shortly after take-off.
No formal reason has been given for the crashed aircraft but Foreign Object Damage, bird strikes, or drones, are among the likely causes.
The crash happened around Ivanovo, Russia – 700 kilometers or 435 miles from the Ukrainian border. A video captured the final moments of the plane with a very visible fire burning on one of its four engines.
All eight crew and seven passengers were killed in the crash, which is the second Il-76MD lost by the Russian Air Force inside Russian airspace in 2024.
It is speculated that the crash might be similar to a 2002 Il-76MD crash which was also a result of an engine engine and the fire extinguisher system failing.
The Il-76 is the core of the Beriev A-50 Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft that have been the subject of Ukrainian missile attacks and drone attacks. The A-50s come with a radome atop the Il-76.
The system can direct Russian aerial attacks as well as intercept Ukrainian airpower with air controllers operating radar and radio equipment in the cabin.