Swarms of Russian drones attack Ukraine nightly as Moscow puts new emphasis on the deadly weapon
Russia now often batters Ukraine with more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate. On July 8, Russia unleashed more than 700 drones — a record.
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Rhyl Journal
16 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Plane carrying 48 people crashes in Russia's Far East
The An-24 passenger plane disappeared from radar as it travelled from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border to the town of Tynda. Rescuers later found the aircraft's burning wreckage amid dense forests on a hillside south of its planned destination. Regional Governor Vasily Orlov said all passengers, including five children, and crew on board the aircraft were killed in the crash. He also announced three days of mourning. Images of the reported crash site circulated by Russian state media show debris scattered among dense forest, surrounded by plumes of smoke. Russia's Interfax news agency said there were adverse weather conditions at the time of the crash, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services. Several Russian news outlets also reported that the aircraft was almost 50 years old, citing data taken from the plane's tail number. The transport prosecutor's office in the Far East reported that the site of the crash was nine miles south of Tynda. The office said the plane attempted a second approach while trying to land when contact with it was lost. The plane had initially departed from Khabarovsk before making its way to Blagoveshchensk and onwards to Tynda. Authorities have launched an investigation on suspicion of flight safety violations that resulted in multiple deaths, a standard procedure in aviation accidents. Such incidents have been frequent in Russia, especially in recent years as international sanctions have squeezed the country's aviation sector.
Int'l Business Times
16 minutes ago
- Int'l Business Times
Plane Crash In Russia's Far East Kills Nearly 50 People
A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in a remote area of Russia's far eastern Amur region on Thursday, killing all on board, authorities said. The plane, a Soviet-made twin-propeller Antonov-24, went down in remote, thickly forested terrain, leaving a column of smoke pouring from the crash site and no signs of survivors, according to state media and videos published by investigators. The Angara Airlines flight was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at around 1:00 pm local time (0400 GMT). A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of Tynda's airport. Videos published by Russian investigators showed smoke rising from the crash site and what appeared to be fragments of the plane strewn across the forest floor. A search and rescue team arrived only hours after the crash at the remote, hard-to-reach site and found no evidence of survivors, according to the state news agency TASS. Investigators did not say what caused the crash. Weather conditions at the time of the incident were poor, Angara Airlines CEO Sergei Salamanov told Russia's REN TV channel. "The commander made the decision to carry out the flight," he was quoted as saying. Tynda, home to around 30,000 people, lies in an area of thick taiga forest about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the Chinese border. At least one Chinese national was on the flight, state media in China reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. "I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the families of the victims," Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The plane dropped from radar while attempting a second approach to land at Tynda, regional prosecutors said. The forest terrain complicated search efforts, a rescuer told the TASS agency. "The main search operations are being conducted from the air," it said. Angara Airlines, a small regional carrier based in the Russian city of Irkutsk, did not immediately release a statement on the crash. Russia's aviation watchdog has not yet given a definitive number of people on board. The Amur region's governor, Vasily Orlov, said the plane was carrying 43 passengers and six crew members. Among the passengers were five children, he said. The TASS agency cited emergency services as saying the plane was carrying 40 passengers and six crew. Aviation authorities have opened an investigation. The plane appeared to have been manufactured almost 50 years ago, during the Soviet era, according to civil aviation database In 2021, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was extended until 2036, data from the site showed. AFP was not able to immediately verify this information. The Antonov-24 is a popular, Soviet-designed turboprop plane that first entered into service in 1959. Russia has taken steps to switch from Soviet aircraft to modern jets in recent years, but ageing light aircraft are still widely used in far-flung regions, with accidents frequent.
The Citizen
17 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Plane carrying nearly 50 crashes in Russia's far east
A twin-propeller aircraft with 49 people on board crashed near Tynda in Russia's Amur region, with no signs of survivors. This video grab from a handout footage released by the Eastern Interregional Directorate for Transport of the Russian Investigative Committee on July 24, 2025, shows an aerial view of the crash site of the Antonov AN-24 passenger plane outside the town of Tynda in Russia's far eastern Amur region. A passenger plane carrying 49 people crashed in Russia's far eastern region of Amur on July 24, 2025, authorities said. (Photo by Handout / Investigative Committee of Russia / AFP) A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in a remote spot in Russia's far eastern region of Amur on Thursday, with no immediate signs of survivors, authorities said. The aircraft, a twin-propeller Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at around 1:00 pm local time (0400 GMT). A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 16 kilometres (10 miles) from Tynda. Videos published by Russian investigators showed what appeared to be columns of smoke billowing from the wreckage of the plane in a dense, forested area. Rescuers in the helicopter saw no evidence of survivors, local rescuers said, as the Amur region's civil defence agency said it was dispatching a ground team to the scene. ALSO READ: SA expresses sadness, offers condolences to India after Air India crash [VIDEO] 'At the moment, 25 people and five units of equipment have been dispatched, and four aircraft with crews are on standby,' it said. The forest terrain has made getting to the site difficult, a rescuer told the state TASS news agency. 'The main search operations are being conducted from the air,' they said. Angara Airlines, a small regional carrier based in the Russian city of Irkutsk, made no immediate public comment. Plane attempted 'second landing' The plane was carrying 43 passengers and six crew members on board, according to the region's governor Vassily Orlov. ALSO READ: India's civil aviation authority says 242 people on board crashed Air India plane to London Among the passengers were five children, he said. Russia's state TASS news agency, citing emergency services, said the plane was carrying 40 passengers and six crew. The plane crashed while attempting a second approach to Tynda airport, Russia's Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor's Office said. 'While approaching Tynda Airport, the aircraft went around for a second landing, after which contact was lost,' it said. 'The circumstances are being investigated,' it said. ALSO READ: AIID probes cause of two plane crashes that claimed three lives It did not make any immediate comment on what caused the crash. The state TASS news agency reported that the plane was manufactured almost 50 years ago. 'In 2021, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was extended until 2036,' it reported, citing a source in aviation services. AFP was not able to immediately verify this information. The Antonov-24 is a popular, Soviet-designed twin-propeller plane that first entered into service in 1959. ALSO READ: UPDATE: Tragic turn after missing aircraft disappears in KZN Midlands Russia has taken steps to switch from Soviet aircraft to modern jets in recent years, but ageing light aircraft are still widely used in far-flung regions, with accidents frequent. – By: © Agence France-Presse
