Overview
- The BBC Russian Service, citing a Northern Fleet serviceman and a resident of Severomorsk, reported that Lieutenant General Aleksandr Otroshchenko may be among the victims.
- The Antonov An‑26 transport, on a scheduled flight, crashed near the village of Kuybyshevo in annexed Crimea on March 31, killing all 29 people on board.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said the plane suffered a technical malfunction and reported no damaging impact from outside weapons.
- State outlets TASS and RIA, citing their sources, said the aircraft crashed into a rock, highlighting conflicting accounts of what brought it down.
- The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Article 351, which covers violations of flight rules or preparation, as outlets noted Otroshchenko’s possible death would add to tracked Russian general‑officer losses since the war began.