A Russian IL-76 military transport plane caught fire in midair and crashed in the Ivanovo region of Russia.

The Russian media reported on this.

During a routine flight, a Russian Il-76 plane burst into flames and crashed in the Ivanovo region, falling short of the airfield runway.

According to local media, the plane was conducting a training flight. It took off from the Severny air base and stayed in the air for only a few minutes. During a turn, its engine caught fire.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 15 people were on board the military plane: eight crew members and seven passengers.

Footage taken by eyewitnesses captures an unknown object, similar to an engine, separating from the plane as it descends.

According to preliminary reports, the Russian plane crashed into a cemetery near the village of Bogorodske, not far from the airfield.

Eyewitnesses report a large column of smoke at the site of the alleged crash. A search and rescue operation is underway.

This is not the first such incident in recent months. Last October, a Russian Il-76MD military transport aircraft burned down in Tajikistan.

Due to the failure of one of the engines, the plane caught fire during takeoff. As a result, the plane rolled off the runway and burned down.

At the time, the cause of the fire was the destruction of the wheel’s pneumatic tire (tire explosion) during acceleration during takeoff, followed by the ingress of elements into one of the engines.

Last August, during a large-scale attack by Ukrainian drones on the Russian joint-use airfield in Pskov, four Il-76 military transport aircraft were hit.