Two Russian planes crashed in Ukraine

Reports of the incidents emerged on the evening of March 31 via Russian Telegram channels. The first aircraft to crash was reportedly a Su-34 bomber. One of the pilots was killed, while the fate of the second remains unknown. Ukrainian media claimed that the aircraft had been shot down by Ukrainian forces; however, the military has not confirmed these reports. The loss is significant, as the cost of a single Su-34 is approximately $50 million.

The Su-34 is one of the newest aircraft in the Russian arsenal. It came into service in 2014, and currently Russia has around 150 units of this type. It’s expected that the Su-34 will replace the older bombers Tu-22 and Su-24.

The second lost aircraft was an An-26 transport plane. The aircraft crashed in Russian-occupied Crimea, killing 23 passengers and 6 crew members. This information was confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defence. According to Russian sources, contact with the military aircraft was lost around 6:00 p.m. Moscow time. The ministry also reported that a search and rescue team had located the wreckage. According to their statement, “there was no evidence of external damage to the aircraft,” and the likely cause of the crash was technical failure.

An-26 is a Soviet-era aircraft designed for short and medium-haul operations. The vehicle has been in active service in the Russian military despite its age. Several An-26 units have already fallen to Ukrainian strikes in recent months. Two units have been destroyed on the ground in Crimea in a drone attack in September 2025. Another unit was struck by a Ukrainian drone at the Kacha airbase in December 2025.