Russians Report An-26 Destroyed at Kacha Military Air Base in Sevastopol; Casualties Confirmed

Russians report that a Ukrainian drone hit an An-26 military transport aircraft.

The incident occurred at the Kacha military air base in occupied Crimea, according to the ‘Na Predele’ Telegram channel, which is linked to Russian pilots.

Reports also mention fatalities and injuries at the scene likely among the aircraft’s crew or the airfield’s command personnel.

It is worth noting that today at 14:52 a Russian monitoring channel reported an air-raid alert in the town of Kacha, located near the Russian air base.

The An-26 is a Soviet military transport aircraft developed by the Antonov Design Bureau on the basis of the An-24T. Its first flight took place in 1969, and it entered service in 1975. Production continued until 1986, with more than 1,400 aircraft of various modifications built.

The aircraft has a crew of 5–6 people and a payload capacity of up to 5.5 tons. Its maximum speed reaches about 540 km/h, and its flight range is up to 2,500 km. A distinctive feature of the An-26 is its rear ramp, which allows for loading equipment and air-dropping cargo.

According to the Oryx resource, Russia has lost three An-26 aircraft – destroyed or damaged – during the full-scale war.