Russian Transport plane crashes in Syria killing 39: Russia defense ministry

Russian SU-25 at Hmeimim air base in Syria

MOSCOW: A Russian transport plane crashed on landing at Russia’s Hmeimim air base in Syria, killing all 39 on board, the defense ministry said in a statement carried by RIA Novosti.
“The reason for the crash according to preliminary information could have been a technical fault,” the ministry said, adding that the plane had not come under fire according to a report from the ground.
The transporter was around 500 meters from the runway, the statement said.
A commisssion will investigate the causes of the crash.
Moscow began conducting air strikes in Syria in September 2015, and its intervention has swung the nearly seven-year conflict firmly in favor of its ally in Damascus.
The latest accident comes after a Sukhoi military jet crashed while trying to take off from Hmeimim in October last year, killing two crew.
Russia’s most recent officially acknowledged military loss in battle in Syria was last month when a pilot was killed after his plane was downed over Idlib province.
Russia’s official military losses in the war before the crash were 45.
Moscow last month also said that five citizens, not officially affiliated with the Russian military, were likely killed in the strikes in eastern Syria — the first admission of non-military combat casualties.