Camilla Jessen
A deadly aviation incident has added to the mounting toll of the war in Ukraine.
Authorities say a Russian military aircraft has crashed shortly after flying over Crimea.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that 29 people died in the crash, including 23 passengers and six crew members.
Officials said no evidence of external interference had been found at the crash site, pointing instead to a likely technical malfunction.
According to Russian officials, the aircraft had recently flown over Crimea before going down. Investigators have not reported any signs of a missile strike or sabotage.
The ministry said a technical failure is currently the leading explanation, though inquiries are ongoing.
Intense clashes continue
On the battlefield, Ukraine’s general staff reported 171 clashes with Russian forces in a single day.
The heaviest fighting was recorded in the Pokrovsk area of the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces said they faced 56 assaults.
Further attacks were reported near Kostiantynivka, while additional offensives took place across several eastern locations, including Lyman, Sloviansk, Kupyansk and Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian officials also reported nearly 100 shelling incidents in the northern Sumy region.
In the northeast, near Kharkiv, several attempted advances were recorded, while in the south, more than 15 offensives were reported in the Huliaipole area.
Additional Russian movements were noted toward Oleksandrivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Sources: Ukrainian General Staff, Le Monde.
