A Russian military jet has crashed after takeoff near Moscow, providing Ukraine with an apparent minor victory in its ongoing war against Russia.
However, the Tuesday crash appears to most likely have been an accident and not because of any direct action.
A Russian IL-76 military transport jet reportedly crashed shortly after taking off from a western Russian air base.
The incident killed all 15 people reported to have been on board, according to the Associated Press.
Local reports indicate that the crash occurred after one of the aircraft’s engines caught on fire, and alleged cellphone video footage of the incident circulating on social media would appear to confirm those reports.
The Moscow Times reported that the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement:
“At about 1:00 p.m. Moscow time, an IL-76 military transport aircraft crashed during takeoff for a scheduled flight in the Ivanovo region.”
“According to reports from the scene, the cause of the disaster was a fire in one of the engines during takeoff of the aircraft,” the ministry added.
That seems to match with alleged footage of the incident on social media, which shows the large four-engine military transport jet descending rapidly with flames and smoke