Russia confirms death of general on An-26 crash in Crimea
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Russian authorities confirmed on April 6 that Lieutenant-General Aleksandr Otroshchenko was among those killed when an An-26 transport plane crashed in Russian-occupied Crimea on March 31, pro-government news agency Interfax-Russia reported.
Otroshchenko served as commander of the Northern Fleet's air corps, a position he had held since 2013, and took part in Russian operations in Syria.
The announcement came from Andrei Chibis, Governor of Murmansk Oblast, where the Northern Fleet is based.
The plane had crashed into the mountains of the occupied peninsula, killing all 29 military personnel on board, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
Otroshchenko's death was first reported on April 2 by the BBC's Russian Service, which was separately confirmed by a relative of another victim and reported in local Telegram chats.
A criminal case has been opened into the crash under Article 351 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers violations of flight rules or preparation regulations, the Russian Investigative Committee said.
Search efforts were carried out in the mountainous area where the crash reportedly occurred, involving military investigators, rescue workers, police officers, and forensic experts, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti Crimea reported on April 1.
Russian state media TASS, citing its sources, said the aircraft had crashed into a cliff, leaving no survivors.
No direct accusations have been made against Ukraine regarding the crash, and Kyiv has not claimed any involvement.
Otroshchenko is the 14th Russian general to be killed since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
