Ukrainian Navy denies involvement in Russian An-26, Su-30 incidents in Crimea

According to Ukrinform, Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

"We cannot confirm our involvement in the incident involving the specified aircraft [An-26] carrying passengers, reportedly 29 people including crew members. Based on the information currently available, it was most likely an accident," he said.

The spokesperson added that, given the active operation of Russian air defense and electronic warfare systems in Crimea, the possibility of interference from Russia's own systems cannot be ruled out, including GPS jamming or errors in air defense operations during combat.

"I believe that over time, the amount of information will certainly increase. However, any data obtained from temporarily occupied Crimea typically requires extensive verification, as it comes from what is essentially enemy rear territory," Pletenchuk said.

He also stated that the Ukrainian Navy was not involved in the Su-30 incident and could not confirm that the aircraft had been shot down.

"Most likely, it was an accident related to the operation of the aircraft. This could be linked to the extreme conditions under which these aircraft are being used," he said.

Pletenchuk noted that the intensive use of Russian aviation in the Azov-Black Sea region contributes to equipment wear and crew fatigue, which may lead to such incidents, especially with the start of the active flight season.

A Russian An-26 military transport aircraft crashed during a flight over temporarily occupied Crimea on March 31, killing six crew members and 23 passengers.

A Russian Su-30 fighter jet also crashed in temporarily occupied Crimea on April 3, with the crew ejecting.

Photo: Dmytro Pletenchuk / Facebook